The Colors of Emotions
by vold
Summary: Kagome gets attacked by a strange demon, and her magic reacts to become a powerful weapon. While she struggles to control it, Kagome learns that the influence of the demon's magic may have more negative effects than she originally thought.
1. Magics Clash

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 1

Magics Clash

To say she was scared was an understatement. Kagome was scared beyond belief. She never got frightened when she was attacked by a youkai. Okay, well maybe she did, but not like this. She didn't know what was happening to her….

_She had stormed away from Inuyasha intent on going home. He had said some mean things to her and she needed some time to take a break and relax. She had been so close to the well, _so incredibly close. She wasn't even aware that there was someone else by her.She angrily berated herself for not making a mad dash towards the well_. As soon as she stepped into the clearing that held her portal home, there was a huge flash of light. She could make out two blood red eyes. She was blinded from anything else. Kagome felt immense pain shoot in her chest. Something had hit her hard by her heart. She heard someone mumbling something angrily. In her dazed state, she could only make out the words " this girl has magic in her!"_

_            Then the light was gone._

_            Confused she had gotten up only to once again feel the pain shoot through her chest. Horrified, she looked down to find herself bleeding profusely from a small but deep scratch along her chest. She blacked out and fell to the ground._

            A few moments later she had woken up. She was still bleeding. Her logic started to kick in. She realized she had lost a lot of blood. She could die. She felt extremely weak and began losing consciousness again.   

 Kagome realized she was wasting time. She couldn't make it back to Kaede's. Her only chance was to make it home to her own time. The young girl pulled herself off of the ground. She only got to about her knees when she collapsed back down again. This time she hadn't blacked out. She was suddenly overwhelmed with pain. Rolling up into a ball on the cold ground, she whimpered in total agony. It felt like her blood was boiling. Her insides felt like they were doing jumping jacks. But the strangest part of all was how her spirit felt. Over the three years she had been searching for the shards with Inuyasha, she had developed some of her miko powers. Her magic was powerful enough for her to be aware of auras and spirits. That was how she was able to feel what hers was doing. She couldn't explain the feelings going through her. It felt as though her spirit was fighting something. Her body was having an all-out war with something that was slowly seeping into her spirit. Two magics had clashed inside of her.

This was Kagome's current state. She felt like she was going to explode. Power was rushing through her. Tears were pouring down her cheeks. She couldn't move. It hurt too much. Where was Inuyasha? Was she going to die here? Kagome hated to admit it, but she depended on Inuyasha to take care of her. She didn't like feeling weak. But she knew in her heart that she couldn't survive a day without her hanyou protector. She was constantly attacked. She hated being a burden. He always was there to protect her, even if according to him it was mostly for the Shikon shards… 

SHIKON SHARDS! 

Kagome frantically searched around her neck for the familiar part of the Shikon jewel that hung around her neck. Fearfully, she realized that whatever had attacked her had gotten the shards. Inuyasha was going to be so mad. 

"Well what do I care?" She thought. "I am going to probably die here anyway." That thought brought renewed fear. Her mind began racing. She could no longer get up. Her head felt like she was going to implode any minute. She was too young to die! She hadn't even finished high school yet! Nor had she had her first kiss.

"I haven't told Inuyasha how I feel." Kagome shocked herself with her own thoughts. What did she feel for the hanyou? She had developed a little crush on the boy, but he was cute. She couldn't help it. But had her feelings grown so strongly that in what could possibly be her last moments of life, she couldn't get the hanyou out of her head? Secretly, she had always hoped Inuyasha would be her first kiss. Sure she knew it would never happen. He still "loved" Kikyou. Now she became angry. Kikyou had been the one that tried to kill her and Inuyasha, yet Inuyasha continued to chase after the dead miko whenever there were rumors of Kikyou's whereabouts.

Kagome inwardly scolded herself. No way was that fake clay model of a miko entering her thoughts. Kagome began to cry again seeing pictures and memories of her family in the future, and her makeshift pack in the past. Sango was one of her best friends. Miroku was always good for a laugh. She had always loved Miroku. No not that way. She loved him as a person who was always there for her. The others in the group hadn't known, but she confided in Miroku more than anyone else in her life. When Inuyasha was out looking for rumors at night, and everyone else slept, she would talk to Miroku. He always made her feel better about anything and everything. Shippou was like a son to her. She was barely eighteen, and too young by her standards, but she had taken up the motherly role for the kit. Kagome loved Kirara as a pet. She couldn't understand the language of the fire cat demon, but Kirara had saved her plenty of times, and she trusted the cat with her life. Kagome had never realized it before, but she had her own little family in the feudal ages. A family is full of people you love and depend on, and that was definitely what her group was. 

Kagome began to feel cold. She shivered which made her body ache even more with the movement. Kagome realized she would probably die right here and now in this little clearing in Inuyasha's forest. She felt alone. She never imagined death this way. It wasn't peaceful. It was painful and full of turmoil. 

"KAGOME!!!!!!!!!"

Someone screamed. But Kagome didn't know whom. Her eyes closed. The last thing she saw was a flash of red. After that, total darkness.


	2. A Thin Line Between Life and Death

Author's Note- Hey everybody! This is my first fan fiction and I am a little nervous. Thank you so much to 'Lady of the Eastern Lands' you were my first reviewer so this chapter is dedicated to you! I hope I get many more reviews! Happy reading everyone!

Disclaimer- Do I have to write this? Fine, I don't own Inuyasha or any of the other characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 2

A Thin Line Between Life and Death

            Inuyasha ran towards Kagome. He stopped next to her unmoving form. Sucking in a breath, he bent down to feel for her pulse. Thankfully, he felt her blood flutter lightly against his fingertips.

            _"Thank Gods she is still alive."_ He let out a breath and scooped the young miko up bridal style. He didn't know if he should be moving her, but she had lost so much blood that he knew she had to be bandaged soon. And he could get her to the village faster than anyone from the village would get there. The sight and smell of her blood sickened him. He hated it when she was hurt. He always felt responsible. He was after all her protector. "Hold on Kagome!"

            Inuyasha didn't know if she would make it. Suddenly, Kagome's eyes opened slightly. "Inuyasha?" She whispered. If not for his hanyou hearing he wouldn't have heard her at all.

            "Shhh, Kagome don't talk. You need to save your strength."

            "I don't think I will make it Inuyasha. I can hardly feel my body anymore. It is so cold." Tears slid down her cheeks.

            "Shut up! Of course you are gonna make it! Don't talk like that. I will not let you die Kagome!" With that Inuyasha put on a sudden burst of speed. He didn't like what he was thinking. He realized she could die right now in his arms. _"No, she can't!"_ He thought. "_I haven't told her how I felt!"_ His mind continued to run though everything he had never told her.

            Inuyasha had always had feelings for Kagome. At first he thought it was only because of her resemblance to Kikyou, but over the years he realized he loved her for just being Kagome. "Whoa, hold up! Did I just say love????!" Inuyasha didn't know what he was thinking. But he decided to ponder on what he felt for the girl later. First she had to be treated.

            Kagome was slowly falling back into darkness. "Inuyasha, tell everyone how thankful I am that they were in my life. I am sorry I couldn't be there for when you finally completed the jewel. But I am sure you will manage without me. You always say what a burden I am. To tell you the truth, I think I am too. But before I die, I wanted to tell you that I have always lo..." Kagome didn't finish what she was going to say. She was encompassed by total darkness. 

            Inuyasha felt the breath rush out of him. He was so worked up about what Kagome had almost said. _"Did she almost say she loves me?"_ Inuyasha thought. He was so tense waiting for her to finish that it took him a while to grasp the fact that she had once again blacked out. Fearfully, he checked for her pulse again. It was still there, but barely. Being so worked up about what Kagome was saying in what she thought were her final moments, he hadn't realized he had reached the village.

            The hanyou rushed into Kaede's hut. He saw his whole group in the small hut surrounding a crying Shippou. Everyone's face turned to him and then Kagome. Fear suddenly appeared on each one.

            "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa, I told you I smelt Kagome's blood!" Shippou cried while lunging for the unconscious girl in Inuyasha's arms. Inuyasha angrily hit the kit away. He didn't know where it came from, but he had a sudden rush of protectiveness for the girl in his arms. 

            "Don't touch her!" Inuyasha growled out. The others in the group were shocked at this comment.

            "What happened to Lady Kagome?!"

            "Where were you?!"

            "Why can't we go near her?!"

            "What attacked her?!"

            Inuyasha was suddenly overwhelmed with questions. "Shut up! Kagome needs to be treated!" He yelled.

            "Inuyasha lay her down by the fire over here. We need to stop the bleeding." Kaede ordered. Inuyasha did as he was told. "Now go get some of the herbs by the river. Most of them can be used for healing wounds." Inuyasha reluctantly nodded. He didn't want to leave Kagome's side until he knew she would live but he also wanted to help her. He ran out the door not wanting to waste any time.

            "Why did you make him leave? Shouldn't he be here if anyone?" Miroku questioned.

            "I know that Miroku, but I needed to make him leave. He is too protective of Lady Kagome and it will be difficult to do anything with him hovering around me." Kaede explained.

            Miroku nodded in understanding. 

            Kaede continued, "Sango, stay in here and help me treat Kagome. Hopefully the bandages will be enough to stop the bleeding. The rest of you have to leave."

            "Why?"

            "We will have to remove most of Lady Kagome's clothing."

            Miroku brightened and said, "I can stay and help. Really I can!"

            Sango frowned. "Can you not be a hentai for just a little bit?! And besides, Inuyasha would kill you if he ever found out you took advantage of Kagome's state to see her undressed!"

            The monk had to agree with that. Inuyasha was such a hypocrite. The hanyou always saw Kagome naked when he supposedly checked on her when she was taking a bath. But Miroku admitted he shouldn't be thinking of such things when Kagome might possibly be close to death. 

            Kaede and Sango were left to tend Kagome. They cleaned the wound on her chest. Fortunately, the cut was not deep enough to be fatal after they had stopped the bleeding. During the process, the two women had heard Inuyasha return. Apparently there was a struggle outside in order to prevent the hanyou from entering. Inuyasha only backed down when Miroku reminded him how many "sits" he would get if Kagome found out he had seen her naked. Sango came out of the hut to assure the hanyou that Kagome would be fine. 

            "Kaede said she will have a scar on her chest for the rest of her life. Inuyasha, she almost died. If you had gotten here any later, Kagome would more than likely be dead."

            This realization hit Inuyasha like a ton of bricks. What if Kagome had indeed died? What if he had found her only mere seconds after he actually did? The poor hanyou didn't want to think about it. Kagome was alive. That is all that mattered. "Can I go see her?"

            "Not yet Inuyasha. She needs her rest and Kaede said for everyone to leave her alone until she wakes up. She will be in a lot of pain though."

            Shippou angrily jumped up on the hanyou's shoulder and hit him upside the head. "Where were you? You are supposed to protect her!"

            Inuyasha felt extremely guilty. He looked at the expectant eyes of Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippou. He would have to tell them everything he knew, even if he wasn't sure what had happened himself.


	3. Guilt

Author's note- Hey everyone. It's vold here with another chapter. I am so glad you guys like this story. I have the next few chapters already written out so don't think I am just 

gonna leave the story unfinished. I will try to update every couple of days.

 Being an avid fanfiction reader myself, I know what a pain it is to wait for updates. I fixed my formatting the best I could. Thank you for mentioning the format! I hadn't realized that my chapters all came out like one big block of words. I am sorry for that. 

Thank you to all of my reviewers! You guys are my motivation to keep writing.

Special thanks to Majik! Your review was extremely helpful! I will try to keep everyone in character to the best of my abilities. Oh, this story takes place when Kagome is just 

around the age of 18. I needed her to be older, so this story takes place like two years after the real story. If you notice any problems please mention them. I can go back and 

fix anything that contradicts something else that I write. Basically, this story is the same as the manga in the sense that all the characters are the same, they are still after Naraku, and they are still searching for the jewel shards. This chapter is dedicated to you Majik!

Disclaimer- I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 3

Guilt

"I had just gotten into a fight with Kagome. She was being her usual unreasonable self, saying she wanted to go home and take those tests things of hers. I of course yelled how dumb they were and tried to drag her back to the village so we could follow up on that rumor of a shard to the east. I said she wasn't allowed to go home unless I said she could. She got mad and sat me and ran off. The dumb wench never would've been hurt if she had only listened to me." Inuyasha was explaining how this whole event had begun. He wasn't actually annoyed with Kagome, but he had to talk about her like he didn't regret having his usual fights with her. Truthfully, he always felt guilty making her mad or cry, and he hated getting into fights. He missed her so much when she went back to her own time. 

But he would NEVER let their friends know about that. He had too much pride. So he continued in his gruff uncaring tone.

"I got up after she ran off to follow her but I was blocked. There was some sort of barrier around the small clearing I had been in. I tried to cut it with Tetsusaiga, but it didn't hit anything. I tried to get through again but the barrier threw me back. 

Suddenly, all of these weird pictures and stuff started showing up around me. The barrier was like showing me images of my past. Parts of my memories good and bad were being replayed for me. It was really strange." Inuyasha hadn't told them just what those memories were. A lot were of his mother, others Kikyou, but a lot had been of Kagome. The time she had run up and hugged him after he tried to seal her in her own time was one of the most vivid. His companions had noticed the sudden change in his expressions. Miroku smirked. 

"Were a lot of those memories of you watching Kagome bath?" The perverted monk questioned. Miroku was soon bopped on the head by Inuyasha. But Inuyasha was bopped on the head by Sango. The two men sat there rubbing there heads. 

"I am so telling Kagome you spy on her bathing. You're as bad as Miroku!" Sango glared at the hanyou. 

"It is only to make sure she is safe. Besides, Miroku spies on you plenty of times." Inuyasha tried to defend himself. This only resulted on a hit on the head for Miroku and another one for himself. 

            "Continue with your story Inuyasha." Sango said angrily.

"Alright wench. Geez, that hurts! Okay, where was I. Oh yeah. So I kept trying to break the barrier but it was no use. Most of my senses weren't working in the barrier either. I couldn't smell or hear anything. After a couple of minutes the memories and images disappeared. The first thing I smelled was Kagome's blood. I ran after the scent. I got to the well and she was lying beside it with her eyes closed. I thought she was dead. There was so much blood...." Inuyasha trailed off. He had been so scared when he had found Kagome like that. The members of his group saw the pain-filled expressions flash across the hanyou's face and knew they should stay quiet until he was ready to talk again.

Inuyasha continued, "I felt for her pulse. She was still alive. I picked her up but then she woke up. She said she was really cold and could hardly feel her body. She thought she was going to die. She said she was sorry she couldn't be here for you guys and thanked you for always being there for her. I ran as fast as I could and got here. Than I found you guys. Why were you crying when I got here Shippou?"

"I had smelt Kagome's blood. They told me I was probably wrong because they 

said you would never let any harm come to Kagome. Apparently they were wrong!" 

Shippou yelled. 

"I didn't mean to not be there to protect her. Besides, she was the one who ran off by herself!" Inuyasha snapped back. The kit had hit a nerve. He felt guilty enough not being there with Kagome to protect her. He may have been stuck in the barrier, but if he had agreed to let her go home and had brought her to the well, they might not have been in this mess. And Kagome wouldn't be in the hut next to him fighting for her life. 

"Shippou, it is not Inuyasha's fault!" Sango scolded the kit. Shippou didn't care. He needed to get out his anger on the hanyou.

"Yes it is! If he were actually nice to Kagome maybe she wouldn't want to leave so often. If you had brought her to the well you guys wouldn't have been separated. Some protector you are. Kagome is like my mommy. If she died, I don't know what I would do. I can blame whomever I want and I think it is Inuyasha's fault! Do you care about Kagome at all?!" The kit glared at the hanyou. Inuyasha didn't know what to say. 

He agreed with what Shippou was saying. He was beating himself up inside for not keeping Kagome safe. He looked around at all of the expectant faces. What was he supposed to say? Should he spill all of his feelings for the girl only to have her find out and reject him? Of course he cared about her! He decided to say the only thing he could say....

"Feh!" And with that, the hanyou jumped up into the tree the group had settled under for this conversation. He ignored Shippou's yelling protests and growled when the kit made a move to come up the tree. 

"Inuyasha, if you cared for her at all you wouldn't have let her get hurt. And now you are too proud and stupid to admit to the fact that it is your fault!" Shippou continued his rant. Miroku and Sango stared in awe at the young kit. He seemed a lot older than he actually was by the way he was speaking. 

"Shippou, it is getting late. Kagome will probably not wake up until morning. Morning will come a lot faster if you go to sleep now. Go find Kagome's bag and see if she has any chocolate left for you, then go to bed. But be quiet! You cannot wake Kagome up. She is only a couple rooms away from the main room, so you cannot be loud at all!" Shippou brightened at the mention of chocolate and bounded towards the hut with one last glare at Inuyasha. 

Kaede came out of the hut and told everyone they could sleep in the hut's main room. Kagome was resting in a back room and should not be disturbed. Kaede called Sango over to her and whispered something in her ear. A look of fear crossed the demon exterminator's face and she nodded. Kaede then went back into the hut to get some blankets out so the others could sleep. Sango told Miroku and Kirara to go inside. 

They did as they were told but were reluctant. They wanted to know what Kaede had told the demon exterminator. As soon as the three were inside, Sango called to Inuyasha, "Inuyasha get down here!"

"What do you want Sango?" The hanyou's gruff voice answered when she called his name.

            "Are you going to sleep up there tonight?"

            "I usually do."

            "Can you come down?"

            "Why?"

            "I need to tell you something about Kagome and I don't want to be yelling it up into a tree."

            Inuyasha was down the tree in a flash. Sango stepped back in surprise.

            "What is it Sango?!"


	4. Comforting Aura

Author's note- Hey everyone! Yay! I have reviews! Thank you so much to all of my reviewers. The story will slowly start to come together soon, I promise. Hopefully this chapter will answer a lot of your questions. I really hope this isn't confusing. If anyone doesn't understand what is going on after reading this, tell me in a review. I will be sure to write you and explain exactly what is going on. Happy Reading!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 4

Comforting Aura

            Sango glared at the hanyou for scaring her like that. "Don't do that! Geez, do you have to startle me?"

            "Would you get to the point!" Inuyasha was anxious to see what was wrong with Kagome.

            "First off, I am only telling you this because Kaede said you should know. Apparently she thinks you care for Kagome deeper than you let on."

Inuyasha snarled at this. "Feh. Get to the point!"

            "Don't say anything to anyone else, it will only make them worry more. If Kagome wakes up then we could be worrying for no reason."

            Inuyasha got nervous when Sango said 'if Kagome wakes up' but he decided to let the exterminator keep talking.

Sango took a deep breath. "Kaede sensed something strange mixing with Kagome's magic. Kagome's aura has increased in power dramatically. Kaede looked through some old scrolls for similar cases. She couldn't find anything on a demon giving a human a power boost like Kagome's demon attacker seemed to do to her. However, Kaede has heard of a demon called a 'kotsonu.' These demons feed off human's energy to build up their own. They basically suck the energy out of their victims. This must have been the youkai that attacked Kagome. 

Apparently, Kagome's miko powers must have made a reverse effect. She sucked all of the energy and magic off of the kotsonu. The kotsonu wasn't aware of Kagome's magic when it attacked her and panicked when it felt something strange happen. This is all Kaede's theory, but it makes sense."

"Why is Kagome in there almost dying if the only thing that happened to her was she got a boost in power?" The hanyou was angry. Some low life demon had thought it would be amusing to steal Kagome's energy, which would have resulted in it taking her life!  But why was Kagome hurt? Why hadn't he been there for her?!"

"Inuyasha, the demon slashed Kagome in the chest. He was aiming to kill her right then and there. But the kotsonu was too distracted by her magic and it missed cutting her heart by mere inches. Kagome's body was too weak to take in all of the magic and power she unintentionally absorbed from the kotsonu and she passed out. The blood loss only added to her state of unconsciousness. When you moved her she woke up. Then she had started talking. Any energy that was left in her that wasn't trying to absorb all of the demon's magic disappeared. She doesn't have enough strength left Inuyasha. Kaede doesn't think her heart will be able to beat much longer...."

Inuyasha cut her off, "Will you SHUT UP! She will live okay! Besides I thought you said earlier she would be fine because the bleeding stopped!"

"It has stopped, but Kaede does not understand what is wrong with her soul. She didn't notice the change in Kagome's aura until after I told you that Kagome would be fine. Kagome soul is mixing itself with a demon's magic and power. How do you know it won't be too much for her to handle. She isn't you Inuyasha! She is a small eighteen year old girl who barely has control of her powers!" Sango was yelling at the hanyou who was cowering under her glare.

Sango calmed down and continued, "Kaede kicked Shippou out of Kagome's room because he had snuck in there to sleep next to her. He isn't helping her in the least the way he is whining and laying on her stomach. He isn't used to not being able to sleep next to her. While you are in her room, make sure Shippou doesn't re-enter."

Inuyasha was confused. "Wait, 'while I'm in Kagome's room'? Why am I allowed by Kagome?" He had no problem watching over Kagome to make sure she was okay, but why was he allowed to when Shippou was not?

"Inuyasha there are many reasons. One, your aura is comforting to Kagome. You know that! Ever since she has been able to sense and read aura's she stays near yours."

Inuyasha couldn't deny that. Kagome had mastered the part of her miko powers that allowed her to understand someone's aura. She had even told Inuyasha once that she liked the way his aura felt. He never understood what she meant by it. But it seemed to soothe her when he was around whenever she had been upset in the past.

            "I don't get it. Why does she like my aura over yours or Shippou's?"

            "That isn't important! You'll have to ask her that if she wakes up!"

"Stop saying 'if'! And you said there were other reasons why I need to waste my night watching over Kagome when she will be perfectly fine!" Inuyasha had to continue his impassive, gruff attitude. He wanted more than anything to run into Kagome's room and hold her close to him. No way would Sango know that though. Sango noticed that Inuyasha seemed more like he was trying to reassure himself other than her that Kagome was going to live.

"Kagome was asking for you." Sango said quietly.

            That got Inuyasha's attention. "When?!"

"When you were off getting herbs for Kaede, Kagome woke up briefly. She asked where you were. She passed out again seconds later."

"Why didn't someone tell me?! I would already be in that room if I knew she wanted me to be there!" Inuyasha blurted out without thinking.

Sango looked slightly shocked and then smiled, "I know you care about Kagome. Let your pride down for one night. If she makes it through tonight, then I promise you that you can be as mean and rough as you want."

"Feh." With that, Inuyasha ran off to Kagome's room and crawled through the small window that led to it.

Sango smiled at his disappearing form. 'Maybe he will finally realize how important to him Kagome really is.' She walked into the main room of the hut to help Miroku restrain the screaming Shippou that wanted to return to Kagome's side. As Sango took the kitsune in her arms to calm him down, her thoughts wandered back to Inuyasha, who only her and Kaede knew was in the room down the hall.

_ 'If this is Kagome's last night, Inuyasha is the best person to be with her.'_ With that last thought, the demon exterminator fell into a worried sleep. Miroku scooted closer to her and put an arm around her shoulder. His intentions were only to comfort the girl, nothing more. Then he too fell asleep.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      

Inuyasha crept silently into the dimly lit room, which housed Kagome's still form. His keen eyesight could clearly make out where the girl sleeping on a large pile of blankets. He sat down next to her, brushing a few strands of hair away from her angelic face. He quickly withdrew his hand at how cold the young miko's skin was. Before he knew what he was doing, Inuyasha had pulled Kagome into his lap. 

She didn't stir at all. He held her hand in his and whispered, "Don't leave me Kagome." He didn't know if he imagined it or not, but he could've sworn he felt her hand gently squeeze his in response to his request. He remained in that position with his back resting against the wall, and the young girl in his lap. He wanted to hold her close while he slept. Her faint heartbeat that he heard was reassurance of her life. The hanyou fell asleep. 

He unconsciously pulled the girl closer to his chest. What he didn't know, was that the warmth and comfort from his aura, was all Kagome's soul needed to accept its new power that it had been fighting against. Inuyasha's embrace gave life back to his Kagome. 

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

Chapter 5 will be up soon. I promise! :)


	5. Revealed Feelings

Author's note- *pout* you guys didn't review! I only got one review for the last chapter! That one was from vegito004. So this chapter is dedicated to you! Come on people, I have some really good ideas for this story. But I won't update if you don't review! I don't mean to sound greedy, but I'm a selfish person :)! Hope you like this chapter.

Disclaimer- No, I do not own any of these characters! I do own a 'kotsonu' though!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 5

Revealed Feelings

            Shippou awoke the next morning rolled up at the bottom of Kagome's sleeping bag. Her scent comforted him, and if he couldn't sleep next to her, her sleeping bag was the next best thing. The kitsune climbed out, stretched and bounded towards Kagome's room. Sango and Miroku wouldn't let him near Kagome last night, and he wanted to be the first one she saw when she woke up. 

She would pet him and hug him and maybe promise to bring him more chocolate next time she went to her time. He smiled at his brilliant idea. Kagome would know that he loved her the most because he was the first one to be there when she woke up. The blissfully ignorant kitsune had no idea of Kagome's true condition.

He was quite surprised when he snuck into Kagome's room and found Inuyasha already in there. The hanyou was asleep and had Kagome pulled into his lap while she leaned against his chest. His chin was resting atop her head, with his arms draped protectively around the young sleeping girl's waist. 

'He took my idea!' Shippou thought. 'Inuyasha is hogging all of Kagome's attention for himself.' The kitsune turned into a pink balloon creature and began gnawing at the poor hanyou. Inuyasha quickly awoke and punched Shippou.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Shippou wailed as he popped back into his kitsune form. Inuyasha made a shushing noise but Shippou cried louder. Miroku and Sango fled to Kagome's room having awakened to Shippou's screaming. 

They looked wide-eyed at the scene before them of Inuyasha holding a sleeping Kagome tightly against him. Miroku smirked, "Inuyasha! Were you with Lady Kagome all night? Do not tell me you took advantage of her current state so you could..." 

*WHAM*

"OWWW!" Miroku rubbed a large bump on his head. Sango stood over him giving him a murderous glare holding her large boomerang threateningly.

"Do not make me hit you again hentai!" Sango warned the cowering monk.

Kaede chose this time to enter the room. "Please, can everybody be quiet!" The old woman yelled. Kaede continued once everyone had shut up, "Inuyasha how is Kagome?"

Inuyasha jumped almost forgetting the whole reason Kagome was in his arms in the first place. Inuyasha realized suddenly that Kagome was still asleep in his arms even through all of the noise. Her skin was cold, and she was having trouble breathing. In a panic he began to yell, "Why isn't she awake after all that noise?!"

"Inuyasha, she is still alive, that is all that matters. Kagome is merely in a very deep sleep. She looks a lot better then I thought she would after accepting all of that energy." Kaede smiled at Inuyasha's bewildered glance, she further explained. "Your presence comforted Kagome and she no longer fought against the power seeping into her soul. 

If Kagome had fought against the demon power for much longer, her energy would have been completely wiped out, and she would no longer have the strength to live. That is why I had you come in here with her. My magic could not calm Kagome's raging soul enough to take in the demonic power. Her powers might be affected greatly by absorbing the demon energy, but it was either that or she dies."

"So Inuyasha saved her?" Miroku questioned.

"In a way, yes. He made her feel comfortable and safe enough to relax and absorb the foreign magic."

Inuyasha was overjoyed that he had been the reason Kagome was alive. After all, he was also indirectly the reason she had almost died. "How come she isn't awake yet Baba?" The hanyou asked worriedly.

"Kagome will wake up when she is ready. She made it through the night, so she is no longer on the verge of death. Her magic is evolving. I have read a little on the demon called a kotsonu, but how Kagome's magic is affected by the demon's magic we will not know until she is awake."

"Kagome almost died?!" Shippou yelped. Miroku, who had been guessing that Kagome's condition was far worse then Kaede had let on, was not surprised.

"It's alright Shippou. She is still alive." Sango tried to sooth the kit.

Inuyasha laid Kagome down on the bed that Kaede had made for her the night before. He stood up and looked at Kaede. "Tell me if she wakes up." And with that, Inuyasha jumped out the window to sit in a tree and think. The rest of the people in the room just looked at each other. Kirara walked leisurely into the room and crawled next to Kagome attempting to comfort her. 

The cat demon lay down and cuddled against the young girl's stomach where she then fell asleep.

            "I think Inuyasha was really scared." Miroku commented.

            "Yeah, he needs Kagome more then he knows. I wish he wasn't so mean to her all the time." Sango agreed.

"She really cares for him too." Miroku added.

            "She never tells me to my face that she has feelings for him, so I'm not sure how deeply she cares. Do you know if her feelings run deep enough that she might actually love Inuyasha?" Sango asked. She was clueless to Kagome's true feelings, for whenever she had attempted to ask in the past, Kagome would change the subject.

Miroku knew exactly how Kagome felt. 

            Miroku ignored Sango and gazed sadly on Kagome's still form. Only he and Kagome knew the secrets they had shared with one another. They were closer than the rest of the group thought....

_FLASHBACK- about a year ago_

_Miroku walked up to the lonely girl who sat crying by the river's edge. "Lady Kagome, what's wrong?"_

_"It's nothing Miroku."_

_"Was it Inuyasha?"_

_Kagome tried to hold back the new rush of tears. She looked at her reflection in the water. "Miroku? Am I worthless?"_

_"What?! Of course not! You can sense the shards, and have become pretty skilled with that bow of yours. Plus, you're pretty cute!" Miroku couldn't help but throw in his usual charm._

_Kagome smiled. _

_"There's that smile I like so much. Now what made you cry?"_

_Kagome could no longer keep her emotions bottled up. She leapt into Miroku's arms and began to tell him everything. "Inuyasha said I was worthless! He said I could never be as good as Kikyou was at anything!"_

_"Shhh, Kagome, it's okay. He was just blowing off steam. You know he does that. He brings up Kikyou without thinking how it will affect you."_

_Kagome looked up. Her face was tear streaked, but she had stopped crying. "Thank you for understanding. You really are like my big brother Miroku. Even if you grope me sometimes, I love you like I would family."_

_Miroku smiled down at her, "Kagome, you know I am here if you need to talk again. I am not just the perverted monk who grabs girl's butts asking them to bear my children."_

_            Kagome laughed, "I know. You really are pretty sweet under that hentai exterior."_

_"Why does what Inuyasha say matter to you so much?" The monk abruptly questioned. He had been wondering about the girl's true feelings for some time._

_Kagome turned her attention back to the river. She faintly said, "I think I love him Miroku."_

_            Miroku smiled knowingly, for he had guessed as much.  "Kagome, I know. I have known you almost as long as Inuyasha has, so it is apparent to me how deeply you care for that stupid hanyou. He doesn't know what he has."_

_Kagome gave Miroku a hug before standing up. She held out her hand to help Miroku up which he accepted._

_"I will not tell anyone how you feel until you are ready." Miroku whispered._

_"Thank you Miroku. I only trust you with this. I'm not even sure if it's true. It could just be a little crush, though I doubt it. I would tell Sango, I trust her, but I know she will try to force me into telling Inuyasha the truth. That is what girls do."_

_"I promise that your secret is safe with me."_

_END FLASHBACK_

"Hey Miroku! Is anyone in there?" Sango was knocking on Miroku's head.

            "Sorry Lady Sango. I zoned out there for a minute. What is it you asked?"

            "I asked if Kagome had ever told you how she felt about Inuyasha, though I don't know why she would tell you."

            "I am sorry Sango. Kagome has never told me anything of her feelings." Miroku felt bad lying to Sango, but he wouldn't break his long ago promise to Kagome.

            No one noticed the small flutter of Kagome's eyes.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

More reviews mean faster updates! Please tell me if you're confused at all! Oh, I know Miroku seemed a little out of character, but in my story, him and Kagome really trust each other. It plays an important part in the future. Kagome and Miroku are a lot closer than in the show okay.

Love you lots

Vold:)


	6. Awakening

Author's note- If I don't get at least one new review, I won't update. Come on guys, I didn't get any reviews for the last chapter! If any of you are still reading this, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 6

Awakening

            Inuyasha sat in a tree a fair distance from Kaede's hut. He needed time to sort out his thoughts, and since all he could do was wait for Kagome to wake up, he figured now was as good a time as any. The hanyou began trying to decipher his feelings for Kagome. But this proved impossible. _'I was so scared when I saw her lying by the well. I don't think I can live without her.... Does that mean I am in love with her? No, I love Kikyo!'_

 Inuyasha had repeated those words to himself over and over again as some sort of reassurance. But every time he told himself he loved Kikyo, the words got less and less meaning. _'Ok, so if I do love Kagome, how do I know it is not just because I loved Kikyo and Kagome looks just like Kikyo?'_ Inuyasha already knew the answer to this question too. 

_'Kagome is nothing like Kikyo. She is smart, funny, trusting, and at least she's alive. Kikyo was never very funny or warm, and besides, Kikyo's dead. That clay model of her isn't Kikyo._' So Inuyasha knew he had feelings for Kagome. _'But how deep do they go? I thought that I loved Kikyo, but the bond I share with Kagome is so much stronger then anything I ever felt for Kikyo. _

_'But I can't love Kagome... if I even do love her that is. Kagome could never love a worthless half-breed like me._' But Inuyasha couldn't stop the little voice in the back of his head that insisted on mentioning what Kagome had 'almost' admitted before she thought she was going to die. 

_"Inuyasha, I have always lo..."_ The words repeated themselves in the hanyou's head.

_'Kagome didn't finish what she was going to say. Besides, I was betrayed by Kikyo even though Kikyo said she loved me. Whose to say Kagome won't do the exact same thing? And who's to say I even love Kagome. I am showing weakness if I let her know I care. Enemies will attack her to get to me. Grrr, I hate thinking! All that ever happens when I try to make sense of my feelings is that I confuse myself more!!!'_

So Inuyasha decided to leave it at _'I care for Kagome, but I don't know how deeply yet. I trust Kagome, but I am not ready to believe someone if they say they love me again. I need proof. Actions speak louder than words._' Inuyasha was pleased with his analysis. He decided he would act like he always did around Kagome, and as soon as she was awake and healthy, they could go look for the shards again.

"Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha jerked his head towards the direction in which the voice had come from. Shippou was standing by the base of the tree looking up at the hanyou. "What do you want brat?"

Shippou scowled but knew he had to relay the message he had to Inuyasha. 

"Kagome's awake."

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      

            Within one minute Inuyasha was hovering next to Kagome. All thoughts of being indifferent towards Kagome, as he had said he would be, were banished from his mind. The young miko was currently stirring from her deep slumber. She was pale and began to cough as soon as she had begun to sit up. Inuyasha put his arm around her shoulders to help her stay steady and rubbed her back in soothing circles. 

Miroku, Sango, Kaede, and Shippou watched with interest as the usually gruff hanyou tenderly took care of the wounded girl. Inuyasha looked up and scowled at them, but none of them moved. 

Kagome opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. The light in the room, though dim as it was, was giving her a headache like none she had had before. She moaned and tried to lie back down and block the light. She wanted to return to the peaceful blackness she had just woken up from. Kagome's chest was burning and she was having trouble breathing. But as soon as she tried to lie back again, a firm arm around her shoulders held her in place.

 Kagome painfully tried to wriggle out of the arms grasp, but it hurt to move. Giving a defeated sigh, she slumped against the arm that was holding her in a seated position. 

"Kagome, you need to stay awake."

            Kagome recognized that voice. "Inuyasha?" She weakly gasped out. It hurt to talk.

"Shhh, don't talk. Point to where it hurts most."

Kagome picked up one of her hands and pointed to her head.

"Kaede, did Kagome have any head injuries?" Miroku questioned. Kagome was unaware of who else was in the room besides Inuyasha having barely opened her eyes for a brief moment. She was startled to hear another voice. Inuyasha noticed her jump in surprise. 

"Can't you sense anyone Kagome?"

Kagome was shocked at her discovery to find she couldn't sense anyone's auras. 

She shook her head. 

Kaede spoke up, "We can deal with the affects of the magic later when Kagome is feeling better. First, we must do what we can to ease her pain. And no Miroku, Kagome had no head injuries that I noticed."

Confused, Miroku questioned, "Then why would her head hurt?"

            "That might be because of the two magics fighting for so long for domination. Her mind and spiritual power is worn out, which would explain Kagome's lack of sensing auras." Kaede tried to reason.

"Do you think Kagome has any powers left? Or are her miko powers gone?" Miroku questioned.

"We will not know until Kagome is better." Kaede informed the curious monk

"Inuyasha, can you get me some aspirin from my pack? It is a little red bottle in the front pocket." Kagome hoarsely whispered out. She couldn't stand all the talking. It was making her headache worse.

"I thought I told you not to talk." Inuyasha scolded.

"Shut up and get me the medicine." Kagome grumbled. She was in no mood to be lectured, as she could barely stay conscious. 

Inuyasha responded with a 'feh' and snapped at Shippou to get Kagome her pills. Kagome squinted her eyes open, took the bottle offered to her by the little kitsune, grabbed two pills, and downed them in no time at all. With a last effort, she pushed Inuyasha's arm away and landed against her pillows. 

Immediately, Kagome was asleep.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

Kagome awoke later to more talking. She felt well rested and after rolling around a bit, she sat up and stretched. A jolt of pain shot through her chest causing her to whimper slightly. Opening her eyes she discovered a curious kitsune and a distressed looking hanyou. 

Kagome felt better than she had before and smiled at them. She tried to say good morning but failed when a burning sensation stung her throat as she attempted to speak. Shippou lunged himself at Kagome landing around her neck shrieking, "You're okay!" 

Kagome would have hugged him back had it not been for his little kitsune feet accidentally kicking her on the bandage that covered her chest wound. 

"KYAAA!!!!" Kagome wailed before slumping back down on her bed trying to resist the pain not only in her chest, but from her throat for screaming as well. Shippou bounced off of her in fright while Inuyasha ran to her side. After a few deep breaths, Kagome whispered out, "I'm fine now. It's okay you guys. I'm sorry I scared you Shippou." Kagome sat back up to look apologetically to the kitsune.

"I told you to leave her alone!" Inuyasha roared while suddenly pouncing on the kit.

            "I didn't know I would hurt her!" Shippou wailed.

"Oh, did you miss the large bandage on her chest that you just happened to kick with your feet!" Inuyasha began to chase the kitsune around the room.

"Stop it you two." Kagome tried to yell out. But it came out as a barely audible whisper and it only caused her more pain. She watched helplessly as Inuyasha grabbed hold of Shippou's tail and made a fist ready to hit the kitsune right on the head. 'Shippou didn't mean to hurt me Inuyasha. It was an accident. Leave him alone!' Kagome tried to scream with all of her might to overcome the screaming kitsune, but no noise came out of her mouth. She watched as Inuyasha began to pull Shippou's tail. 

Suddenly, green zaps of light shot from Kagome's fingertips. Inuyasha was struck in the shoulder by one of the small green lightning bolts and yelped in pain as it seared his flesh. The kitsune he had been holding was dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Then, the streaks of light disappeared leaving a ghostly pale Kagome, a shocked yet unharmed Shippou, and a stunned Inuyasha who was grasping onto his shoulder. 

Kagome's eyes rolled back in her head as all energy left her body and she fell hard against her makeshift bed. She was out cold in seconds.

Miroku startled Shippou and Inuyasha as he walked into the room. "I have never felt such power. The aura that was just surrounding her was incredible...apparently Kagome does have some power left in her." The monk chuckled while Inuyasha gave him a death glare. 

The hanyou quickly got up, ignoring his own pain, and ran to retrieve Kaede.


	7. Lack of Answers

Author's Note- Well, I did get some reviews so I'm updating! I know it seems like the plot is dragging, but I swear it will start to pick up again. This chapter is mostly explaining what us going on. If anyone is confused, please tell me. Everything should clear up in the next few chapters! So I'm sorry if this is boring. Happy reading and Happy Easter to all of you!

Disclaimer- Nope, I don't own any of 'em!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 7

Lack of Answers

            "Kaede!!!!" The impatient hanyou yelled at the top of his lungs as he barreled into the old miko's room. Inuyasha nearly tore off the drape that was used as a door as he raced through it. Kaede looked up at him with a frustrated glance and then turned her head downwards where she continued to grind herbs while sitting on the floor.

            "What do you want Inuyasha?" She calmly asked.

            "Kagome just woke up and was fine until that little brat jumped on top of her and hit her cut and she screamed and fell back down and when I grabbed Shippou, Kagome shot this light from her fingertips and hit my shoulder and then she fell unconscious!" Inuyasha panted as he had rushed his entire explanation out as fast as he could and was now out of breath.

            "Kagome attacked you?" Sango questioned from a corner of the room. Inuyasha turned abruptly not realizing the demon exterminator had been in the same room.

            "No, Lady Kagome didn't seem to have any control over the power that escaped her. She looked shocked at what she had done and then just sort of passed out." Miroku answered for Inuyasha as the monk strode into the room. He seated himself next to Sango who quickly scooted herself away from his wandering hands. 

            "Let me see your shoulder Inuyasha." Kaede instructed. 

            "No need old lady, I'll be fine in an hour or so." Inuyasha shrugged.

            "I need to see what kind of wound it is. It might help explain Kagome's strange new ability."

"Feh," But Inuyasha did as he was told as he sat down next to Kaede and allowed her to roll his haori and undershirt up his arm.

            "Hmmm, just as I thought. Kagome's attack was pure energy." Kaede was mumbling to no one in particular. "Inuyasha, the scar that will be left behind will never go away."

            "Huh?" Inuyasha questioned. He looked at his shoulder wound to see a large burn running across the exposed flesh. "Why won't the scar go away? I have gotten wounds a lot worse than this before. And what exactly is going on?"

            "I think I know exactly what is going on, but I need to double check. I was going through an old scroll on kotsonues. It seems they are weak demons when it comes to brute strength, but they have unbelievable magical capabilities. They survive, as I have explained before, by attacking their prey when they are alone. The kotsonu sucks the energy from their weakened opponent and kills them by draining them. It is common for a kotsonu to get their prey alone by putting a shield around the people the chosen victim might be traveling with. I believe this is what happened to you Inuyasha. Sango told me what you remember happening. 

A kotsonu must have put a barrier around you to separate you from getting to Kagome. You saw images of memories because the barrier serves as a distraction. Nothing distracts one better than to see their own lives flash before them. You know what happened next."

Inuyasha let out a low threatening growl, "So the weakling wouldn't fight me because it knew it would lose. So it attacked Kagome. What a disgusting excuse for a demon. Hey, you still haven't explained what's up with my scar and why Kagome is suddenly attacking me with bolts of light!"

"I think I understand what Lady Kaede was hinting at." Miroku commented. "May I give my idea Lady Kaede?" Kaede nodded her consent and Miroku continued, "Lady Kagome absorbed the magic of the kotsonu. Lady Kaede mentioned that kotsonues are known for having amazing magical abilities. It would only make sense that Kagome's own magical abilities have increased dramatically. Her miko powers mixed with the kotsonu's powers. 

I guess the bolts of energy that shot from her were the outcome of all of the power. It is a known fact that miko and demon magic should not mix. I have never heard of a case of this happening. It is like a mixture of good and evil."

"I believe you are correct Miroku. We can do nothing but wait for Lady Kagome to wake again. She will hopefully be able to clear up some answers for us. I assume that when she attacked, the energy left her already weakened body in a rush. She might not wake again for another few hours."

"Weak humans." Inuyasha mumbled.

"I wouldn't call Kagome weak anymore Inuyasha. Like I said before, she attacked you with pure energy. The power seared your skin and it will leave a scar."

"It didn't hurt that much." Inuyasha snapped in a gruff tone.

"If Kagome had hit your chest or head you would be out cold. You were lucky Inuyasha. Kagome has no control over her power and until we figure out how the magic inside of her works, you should stay away from her. She attacked you after all even if it was by accident."

"I am not staying away from her. There is no way a weak human girl is going to actually hurt me. I'll tell you when Kagome wakes up." Inuyasha snapped at the group in front of him. He stormed out of the room ignoring the pain that still ran through his shoulder at the sudden movement. 

"In Inuyasha language, he really meant that no matter what, he is not leaving Kagome's side because he is worried about her." Miroku stated while Sango began to laugh. 

"I heard that monk! I am not worried for Kagome. I just need to keep an eye on my jewel. She does after all have the jewel that I plan to use to become a demon, if your thick head has already forgotten." Inuyasha yelled while popping his head back in the room to glare at Miroku. The hanyou quickly turned and retreated back to Kagome's room.

Sango angrily glared at where Inuyasha's head had been moments before, "How could he still mean that? After all he and Kagome have been through, how could he still see her as a shard detector?!"

"He was lying through his teeth." Kaede spoke up.

"How do you know? He just said he was going back to Kagome's room to keep an eye on the jewel fragment!" Sango questioned curiously. 

"Lady Kagome no longer possesses the jewel." Kaede bluntly said.

Miroku and Sango were unsure how to react. It was funny how the hanyou had been caught lying that he was just checking on Kagome to check on the jewel. But a kotsonu now had possession of a large part of the Shikon jewel. Kagome had been gathering the shards for about three years, and the jewel was probably about two-thirds of the way done.

"Hopefully Inuyasha won't notice the jewel is missing until Kagome is better. He would push Kagome out of bed as soon as she was awake and moving to find the jewel. She needs to rest and regain her strength. And we certainly cannot go to find the jewel on our own. We cannot sense or see it like Kagome can." Sango mused.

Moments later, Shippou was heard wailing from being kicked out of Kagome's room. Then a certain hanyou yelled, "You didn't do much good last time you were near her!" 

The kitsune retorted by yelling back, "I didn't mean to kick her! At least she didn't attack me! She probably zapped you because she didn't want you near her!"

A thud was heard and then a crying kitsune ran into Kaede's large room where the rest of the group was sitting. Shippou jumped into Sango's lap. "He hit me!"

Kaede had been puzzling over why Kagome's power was unleashed, how powerful it really was, how to control it, and how to train Kagome to use it. It all confused the old miko greatly, but at hearing Shippou, she got an idea. "Shippou? Did Inuyasha try to hit you before Kagome accidentally 'zapped' him?"

Shippou looked thoughtful and then began vigorously nodding his head. 

"I think I have just figured something out. But we must wait until Kagome wakes up." Kaede murmured. 


	8. Emotional Answers

Author's note- Hey everyone! I am glad you guys like this story. I am really sorry that none of these chapters are really full of action or anything, but as soon as everything gets explained and cleared up, I promise the plot will begin to pick up! Please stay with me until then. The next few chapters are really setting off the base of my story. Most of your questions will be cleared up soon. Oh, and I am so sorry I still had that thing on that blocked unsigned reviews. Thank you Majik for telling me I still had it on! Sorry everyone, I can be such a ditz sometimes! Hope you guys like this chapter(  
  
Disclaimer- No, Rumiko Takahashi owns all of 'em! . . . . . .  
  
The Colors of Emotions Chapter 8 Emotional Answers  
  
"Lady Kagome, you have to wake up now."  
  
Kagome's eyes fluttered open and focused themselves on the owner of the voice. Miroku was hovering above her with a relieved smile on his face.  
  
"You're awake. That's good. Can you sit up?" Miroku questioned in a calm tone.  
  
Kagome nodded and slowly began to sit up, "What's going on Miroku?"  
  
"You were attacked by a demon, then you were brought here and- -"  
  
"I remember all that." Kagome cut him off. "But where is Inuyasha? Last time I woke up I." Kagome trailed off. Then her eyes snapped wide in sudden realization. "I attacked him Miroku! I didn't mean to! I don't know what happened! Is he ok?" She was becoming frantic.  
  
Miroku grew worried as Kagome's breathing began to become ragged again. He pulled Kagome into a loose hug while running his hand over her hair in a soothing gesture. It worked and as soon as Kagome had calmed down Miroku began to explain everything to her.  
"Inuyasha is fine. He is out sulking in a tree somewhere. I kicked him out as soon as you began to stir. I knew you would panic if you saw him. That stubborn hanyou took forever to persuade to leave."  
  
"But what happened? Why did that light come from me and hit him?" Kagome murmured into Miroku's chest, for he was still holding the frightened miko against him.  
  
"We were hoping you could answer some of those questions. Kaede wants to talk to you as soon as you are ready. Are you up to it? You can always go back to sleep and Kaede can talk to you later."  
  
"No, I can talk to her. But can I see Inuyasha first. I want to make sure he is okay."  
  
Miroku let a small smile creep onto his lips. "You're worried about that stupid hanyou even though you're just starting to heal from a life or death experience."  
  
"Shut up Miroku."  
  
"You've got it bad."  
  
"I said shut up. Besides, you've got it just as bad for Sango." *  
  
*  
  
*  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
* * Miroku lay with his back against a tree. He was sitting a good hundred feet from the rest his group. Kagome appeared holding a steaming cup in her hands. "I brought you some lunch Miroku."  
  
"Have I been exiled from the camp for lunch?"  
  
"Sango didn't think I should bring you any food at all. Inuyasha would have gladly eaten your share of ramen."  
  
"Is she really mad at me?"  
  
Kagome knew exactly whom it was Miroku was referring to. "Sango is just frustrated with you Miroku. You groped her for like the millionth time today and she has had enough of it."  
  
"So I am being forced to eat by myself just because I groped her? But I always grope Sango and she never seemed so angry before."  
  
Kagome sat down in front of the monk with a sigh. "Miroku, do you honestly see Sango as a friend, or just another woman to bear your child?"  
  
"You know I have feelings for her Kagome. She is more than a friend to me. I just don't know how to express that." "Do you love her Miroku?"  
  
Miroku looked slightly ashamed before looking down at the ground. "Yes."  
  
"Then why don't you tell her?"  
  
"I can't Kagome. It wouldn't be fair."  
  
"What do you mean? Sango might feel the exact same way for you and you're making her wait in the dark!"  
  
"Kagome, if I told Sango, and she did love me back, I could be destroying her as badly as Naraku. I don't know how much longer I will survive with this wind tunnel. What if I tell Sango I love her, we get married, and then I get sucked into my own wind tunnel? I would only be adding another person to a list of 'people she loved dead'!"  
  
Kagome looked at Miroku. She was ashamed at her own ignorance. She was so caught up in playing matchmaker that she had forgotten about consequences. She said the only thing she could think to say, "I am sorry Miroku. You are saving her from heart-ache by causing yourself more."  
  
"I prefer to not think about it. I just become depressed. Could you pretend this conversation never happened?"  
  
"Sure. But if you need to talk, just tell me. And get your hand off me please!"  
  
Miroku feigned innocence as he removed his hand from where it had crawled onto Kagome's backside. "Sorry Lady Kagome. It's tradition. Wouldn't it be awkward if I actually stopped groping people?"  
  
"Honestly, your groping habits are one of the most constant things in my life. I don't want to call it comforting, but at least I know that some things will never change."  
  
* *  
  
END FLASHBACK * *  
  
"I think fate must really hate us Miroku." Kagome said as she pulled away from the monk's loose embrace.  
  
"What ever do you mean?"  
  
"We both care for someone we can never have. You think it's some sort of joke?"  
  
"I don't know Kagome. It is good to have someone to talk to about it though, don't ya think?"  
  
"Yea, I mean I don't think you would want to talk about Sango to Inuyasha." Kagome chuckled at the thought.  
  
"No, I do not think Inuyasha would be a very good listener."  
  
Kagome began to laugh at that. But the movement caused pain to shoot through her chest. With a gasp, she fell back onto her bed. Her back hit the floor hard causing more pain to shoot though her.  
  
"Kagome, are you alright?" After a few deep breaths, Kagome answered. "I'm fine. It's just this stupid scratch." She gestured towards the bandage covering the gaping wound.  
  
"I believe it is a but more deep than a stupid scratch. I am going to get Kaede. She needs to check on you." Miroku stood up and walked out of the room.  
  
Moments later, Kagome heard slight footsteps across her floor and coming next to her bedding. Kagome slowly opened her eyes expecting to see the face of Kaede. But she instead was quite surprised to find a pair of amber eyes looking into hers. "Eep!" She shrieked in surprise.  
  
She bolted upright but two clawed hands held down her shoulders.  
  
"Kagome you're going to hurt yourself if you keep moving!" A gruff voice scolded her. Kagome immediately put two and two together and whispered, "Inuyasha, are you alright?"  
  
"Feh, of course I'm alright. Did you think some weak energy from a human is going to hurt me?"  
  
"I don't know. I don't even understand what happened."  
  
"Are you feeling better?" Inuyasha asked in a calm voice.  
  
Kagome was shocked by the concern she saw in his eyes and was at a loss for words. She nodded her head.  
  
"Good."  
  
Kaede entered the room at that moment. "Inuyasha, what are you doing here? Miroku said you were outside."  
  
"I was. I just came in here to see how she was doing."  
  
Kaede chuckled, "Well that is very sweet that you are concerned for her welfare. But I can take it from here. We don't want her to zap you again now do we?"  
  
Inuyasha scowled and said, "Feh." He then stood up and walked out of the room.  
  
Kagome stared at his retreating form and then turned confused eyes on the older miko. Kaede smiled, "He hasn't left this room practically at all. You scared him Kagome. He thought he was going to lose you."  
  
Kagome smiled and lay down against her pillow.  
  
"Let's talk about that new found power of yours shall we?" Kaede offered. Kagome's smile faltered and she sat back up to look at Kaede as the old miko began to remove Kagome's bandage.  
  
"Do you think you know what happened Kaede?" Kagome shivered at the cold water that Kaede was applying to her wound.  
  
"I am not sure of anything. But, how did you feel before you released that energy from you?"  
  
"My head hurt a little bit from all of Inuyasha's and Shippou's screaming, and -"  
  
Kaede interrupted, "No child, how did you feel? Were you angry, sad, happy?  
"Oh, umm, I was angry at Inuyasha for hurting Shippou. I felt helpless because I couldn't do anything. I tried to yell at Inuyasha or 'sit' him, but my throat hurt too much every time I talked. I wanted to protect Shippou. He didn't do anything wrong. He is just a little kid. What does this have to do with anything Kaede?"  
  
"Hmm, I think I might understand what happened."  
  
Kaede began to explain to Kagome everything that had been figured out about her attacker and the magic while applying a new bandage to her chest. Kagome tried to understand it all but the entire incident still seemed unreal.  
  
"Wait, so a kot-so-nu, or whatever it was called, tried to absorb my energy. It had a reverse effect, and now I have a demon's magic mixing with my miko powers?"  
  
"That is correct."  
  
"Okay, so was that the demon's magic attacking Inuyasha?"  
  
"Your attack was pure energy Kagome. It was uncontrolled and very powerful. It is not necessarily a demon's attack though. It is the after effect of a miko's and demon's power mixing. It is very dangerous if you do not learn to control it."  
  
"But what set me off? I mean, it isn't like anyone was actually getting hurt. Shippou was just going to end up with a few bruises."  
  
"It must be certain emotions, child. Your need to protect the kitsune meant you attacked whatever was hurting him."  
  
Kagome looked at the miko as if she were insane. "So basically, if I ever get too emotional, I am going to attack someone?"  
  
"My guess is as good as yours. But that would explain why you attacked Inuyasha without meaning to. You are going to have to train your magic, or else you could seriously hurt somebody."  
  
"Great, just great." Kagome sarcastically mumbled.  
  
"Let's just hope anger isn't one of the emotions that sets you off. Or Inuyasha will be dead by sundown." Kaede joked.  
  
Kagome looked very worried. "But what if it is?"  
  
"I was only joking child. Do not worry so much. I doubt that anger will set you off. But if it is, your attacks will only be as powerful as the most dominating emotion inside of you. From my experience, anger has never been a very powerful emotion. It merely makes one reckless. Besides, it might be a good thing that Inuyasha can get you so angry."  
  
"What do ya mean?" "I will explain more later. But, I will need to see your power. Inuyasha might be perfect to set it off. It is late, so try to get back to sleep."  
  
"All I've done is sleep." But Kaede's words seemed to slur together as Kagome slowly began dozing off.  
  
"You need to heal child. Sleep is the best medicine."  
  
"Fine. But I'm not tired." Kagome yawned which contradicted her entire statement.  
  
"Get some rest." And with that, Kaede left the room. * * * * Hey everyone, did you like it? Could you guys please review and tell me if you like Miroku's character or not. Do you like him and Kagome being close? Please review, you know you want to! Just click that little button in the corner:) 


	9. Controlling Power

Author's note- Hey everybody! Thanks for the reviews. I love every single one I get. Special thanks to 'The Deity of Fun Dinner" for all of her help! Go check out her writing. It's awesome! Remember everyone, if you are confused at all, just tell me in your review. I will do my best to clear things up. Sorry this chapter took so long to get out! Happy reading everybody!

Disclaimer- Rumiko Takahashi owns everybody. She is SO lucky!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 9

Controlling Power

            Kagome awoke the next morning feeling much better than she had the previous day. She sat up, yawned, and stretched. A slight twinge of pain came from her chest wound, but she ignored it. It wasn't nearly as bad as the day before. Kagome looked down and saw that she was dressed in a simple white kimono. Just as she began to stand, a small orange fluff ball rocketed into her stomach sending her back onto her bedding with an 'Oomph.'

"Kagome! You're awake!" The smiling kitsune sitting in her lap cried.

"I sure am Shippou! What have you been up to? I hope you haven't been pestering Inuyasha too much."

            Shippou smiled sheepishly, "Not _too_ much. Ahh, Inuyasha's coming. Hide me!" Shippou ran under Kagome's blanket and tucked himself against her stomach.

            As if on cue, Inuyasha stormed into the room. "You better not be in here brat! Kagome is still sleeping!" Inuyasha then noticed that Kagome was actually very wide- awake and was looking at him with laughter in her eyes. His eyes softened seeing her smile but he quickly caught himself and reapplied his angry expression. "Well, you were asleep a moment ago."

            "I just woke up. Shippou isn't in here Inuyasha. I heard him run past my doorway a few seconds ago."

            "Liar, I smell him in here. And unless you're pregnant, my guess is that the bulge on your stomach is the little brat."

            Kaede came into the room at this moment. "Ah, Kagome you have awakened. Here, let me get you some of the stew I just made. You must be hungry. You haven't eaten for two days child." Kaede left the room seeing Kagome's nod of agreement. 

Inuyasha chose this moment to try to grab at Shippou's furry tail, which was protruding from the edge of the blanket.

"Leave him alone Inuyasha."

"Feh. Why should I wench?"

"He couldn't have done anything too horrible to you."

"How would you know? You've been dead to the world while your weak human body took forever to heal."

Kagome tried hard not to say 'sit.' She held in her anger knowing that the hanyou had had a rough few days and was blowing off steam. 

"Inuyasha, has anything important happened while I've been asleep?"

"No. But everyone missed you. I missed you-" 

Kagome's heart was beginning to melt until he continued with his little speech.

Inuyasha continued, "-because with you lazing about we couldn't go shard hunting."

Kagome face-faulted. He just had to go ruin anything sweet he might have said. _'Don't 'sit' him Kagome. He doesn't know any better.' _Kagome repeatedly thought this in her head, but it was becoming exceedingly harder not to teach the hanyou a lesson. Kagome didn't realize that holding her anger inside was causing little blue sparks to form at her fingertips. Kaede however, who had come back into the room with a bowl of stew, distracted Kagome from any damage that might unintentionally be done. 

"Here's your stew Kagome dear."

Kagome snapped from her state of glaring at the rambling hanyou. Accepting the bowl handed to her from the elder miko, she noticed a faint glow of blue around her fingertips. As if it was never there, the light disappeared. 

"Is something wrong child?" Kaede asked, for she had suddenly felt a strange magic around Kagome. Inuyasha left the room to get himself some stew. He was oblivious to the turmoil going on in the two miko's heads. Kagome suddenly snapped her head up from where she had been looking at her hands, to lay fearful eyes upon Kaede. 

"Kaede, I was just really mad at Inuyasha, and my hands started glowing blue. It was like last time, only last time my hands were glowing green. I almost attacked him again. And this time the emotion that was dominant was definitely anger. I thought you said getting angry wouldn't set my magic off!"

"Child, I guess I was wrong. Don't worry, that only means that anger is one of the emotions that will set your new power off. You managed to control it so it couldn't have been too powerful. That's a good start. I do not think you would have seriously hurt Inuyasha if you had just attacked him. I felt the magic surround you, and even though it seemed powerful, I do not think it would have been fatal if you had accidentally released it and hit him."

"Kaede, I might hurt him. I need to learn to control this!"

"I cannot help you until I learn a little more about it. Eat your stew, I need to go gather some herbs." Kaede then left the room.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

Kaede actually was not going to get herbs. She headed straight outside to find a certain hanyou. "Inuyasha?" She called.

Inuyasha jumped down from a nearby tree and landed gracefully in front of Kaede with an empty bowl of stew in his hands. "What is it Baba?"

"I am going to need your help." Kaede continued to explain, "I believe I have figured out why Kagome attacked you earlier. It seems if a certain emotion becomes too powerful inside of Kagome, her strange new magic feeds off of that emotion. The magic releases itself and attacks whomever seems to be closest."

            "So the stupid wench is going to attack whenever she becomes emotional? Just great, we'll all be dead in no time if she doesn't learn to control her powers." 

"That's where you come in. You are going to help me train Kagome's powers."

"Huh?"

"It seems that anger is one of the emotions that can set her off. Protection also is, that is why she attacked you earlier."

"What do I have to do?" Inuyasha asked, eyeing the miko suspiciously.

"You have to make her mad or protective enough to attack you. I need to actually see her use her power or else I cannot be sure about anything."

"Why can't she go and kill somebody else."

"It won't _kill _you because you're a hanyou, and no one else can endure pain as good as you. Her attack would kill a human if it hit them in the chest, but you should be fine. Besides, no one else is able to get her as emotional as you can."

"Feh, so what _exactly_ do I have to do?"

"Go in there and make her mad. I will be watching from the doorway."

"Why are we trying to make her attack me? Isn't it a bad thing for her to lose control of her power?"

"If I see the attack, I will be able to get a clear idea of just how Kagome's magic works. From that information, I should be able to understand how to teach her to only use the magic as an attack that she can control, or to just stop the magic from forming an attack at all."

"Fine. But if I do this, she had better bring me a lot of ramen next time she goes back to her stupid time."

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

Inuyasha walked into Kagome's room. She was sitting up and looking out the small window. Upon hearing him enter, she turned her head and smiled at him. Inuyasha almost felt bad about doing this. He had decided on just the perfect thing to say that he knew would make her mad. 

"Hey wench! Make me some ramen. I'm hungry! Get your lazy butt up! Wow, you look awful this morning. I've seen rotting demon corpses prettier than you."

Kaede, who was sitting outside the doorway and looking in the room thought,_ "Hopefully those words will just set off a few sparks. Come on Kagome, release your anger."_

"Sit!" Kagome yelled. Her control over not subduing the hanyou snapped.

Inuyasha smashed to the ground. _"Well I guess she can always go and do that too." Kaede chuckled. She had forgotten that when Kagome got the slightest but angry, she used the subduing spell._

"Wench, you did it wrong!" Inuyasha yelled at Kagome. Kagome became confused and decided to just ignore him. Inuyasha stomped out of the room and turned to Kaede. "Why didn't she attack me?"

Kaede let out an exasperated sigh, "I guess we move on to plan B."

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      

Hope you guys still like this story. As promised, the whole plot will begin to build up soon and hopefully everything will make more sense. Please review and tell me what you think and what I should change!

Sincerely

Vold J


	10. Trial and Error

Author's note- Hey everyone! I hope people are still reading this! But, I personally thought this chapter came out pretty good. I hope you like it! Enjoy!

Disclaimer- Rumiko Takahashi owns all of these characters. I asked Santa for them for Christmas, but he came up short!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 10

Trial and Error

            "Wait, so I get to try and kill the brat?" Inuyasha asked happily.

"No, Inuyasha! You are to _pretend _to try and hurt Shippou. Hopefully, Kagome will become protective enough of the kit to attack you. Stay on guard, because it could cause some damage if you're hit. If my guess is right, protection is a more powerful emotion than anger." Kaede explained.

"Okay, make Kagome come outside. I'll go find Shippou." Inuyasha said these last few words with a mischievous gleam in his eye. Kaede turned to fetch Kagome from inside the hut while Inuyasha sniffed out Shippou. He found the kitsune playing with a butterfly in a nearby field. 

"Oi brat! Come over here!" The hanyou called.

"Why?" Shippou asked suspiciously as he made a lunge for the butterfly.

"Kagome wants to see you." Inuyasha lied.

"Goody!" Shippou ran in the direction of the hut. He stopped and picked a few purple flowers that were growing at the edge of the field. 

"What are those for?" Inuyasha questioned.

"They're for Kagome. They are to make her feel better!"

"Why will flowers make her feel better?"

"I dunno, she was telling me about a boy in her time giving her flowers to make her feel better. I guess it makes her happy."

"What boy in her time?"

Shippou ignored the hanyou's question and ran off towards the hut. Inuyasha chased after him, and having superior speed, soon caught up and grabbed the kit by the tail. They had stopped right outside Kaede's hut. "What _boy_ Shippou?" Inuyasha repeated growling.

"Umm, I think his name was Hojo. I don't remember. Why are you asking anyway?"

"No reason."

Kagome walked outside of the hut at this moment. 

"I think you're jealous Inuyasha." Shippou accused. Inuyasha angrily hit the kit in the head. Kaede had said to make Kagome protective of Shippou, so why not make it good? 

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Inuyasha, leave him alone!" Kagome scolded from her place leaning against the doorway. She was still pale and weak and couldn't walk very well on her own yet.

"No wench!"

"Ahh, Kagome help me!"

            Inuyasha threw Shippou on the ground and shoved the kit's face in the dirt. Shippou was immobile in this position and could only cry out for Kagome.

            _'Come on Kagome! Attack!'_ Kaede mentally urged from her place behind Kagome.

            "Sit!" Kagome yelled.

            As usual, Inuyasha landed face first into the ground. Shippou jumped up and into Kagome's awaiting arms. "Wench! You did it wrong again!" Inuyasha yelled as soon as he could lift his head off the ground. Kagome gave him a confused look.

"Thank you for saving me Kagome!" Shippou then held out the now crumpled purple flowers, "I got these for you!" Kagome held Shippou in the crook of one arm and grabbed the flowers from his outstretched little paws.

"Thank you Shippou." She kissed the little kit in the forehead and walked back inside the hut. 

Kaede walked over to the grumbling hanyou.

"Baba, remind me why we can't just tell her to use her magic and _not _to 'sit' me."

"Her feelings must be genuine. We can't tell her to pretend to be mad. If she could fake an emotion, then we wouldn't be here trying to force her to get mad or protective."

"There has to be another emotion that will set her off."

"We don't know anything for sure."

"Well I for one am sick and tired of being 'sat' for no reason. She had better attack me instead of 'sit' me next time or else I quit." Inuyasha stormed into the hut towards Kagome's room.

"How will you get her to not 'sit' you? She will have to be overwhelmed with an emotion for her to attack. Sitting you has solved all of her problems before."

"I don't know! Hopefully something will come to me as soon as I'm in there!"

And indeed something did come to Inuyasha when he walked a few steps into Kagome room. It came in the form of a little orange ball of fluff, in other words Shippou, crashing into his legs. Inuyasha fell forwards and landed in a push-up position. Actually, it was a push-up position over a certain girl who was lying down in her bed. The position was quite compromising. Kagome was unharmed, just shocked. Inuyasha had one hand on each side of her shoulders. His face was inches from hers, and his legs sprawled across her left side.

 She looked up at him blushing while he looked back down at her. He was so caught up in making sure he didn't hurt Kagome when he fell, that he didn't realize the position he had put himself in. But instead of blushing, a devious smile took over his features.

 Kagome wasn't strong enough to push him away from hovering over her, and he soon realized how perfect his 'on the spot' plan was.

"Kaede, get in here!" Inuyasha yelled.

Kaede walked into the room and saw the scene in front of her. She blushed and quickly turned making to leave the room uttering, "Oh my, I'm sorry" a few times.

"Shut up Baba and stay put!" Inuyasha growled. Kaede turned hesitantly and leaned against the wall.

"Umm, Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kagome asked from under Inuyasha.

"None of your business!"

            "Could you get off of me please!?"

            "Nope!"

"Inuyasha, get up. I need to go take a bath and you're not letting me move."

"You can't move can you? You're such a worthless wench."

"S-"

Inuyasha quickly interrupted, "You'll get flattened."

Kagome quickly shut her mouth. "Get off!"

"Figures you wouldn't realize that I'd probably crush you if you tried to subdue me." Inuyasha taunted. Kagome became angry.

"Shut up and move Inuyasha!" Kagome gritted out.

 Inuyasha already regretted what he was about to say, "Kikyou wouldn't have to rely on some stupid word like you do. She had real power."

That did it. Blue light shot from Kagome's fingers. Inuyasha was thrown backwards and hit the wall behind him with a sickening thud. 

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shrieked bolting up. But as soon as she did, she fell back onto her bed unconscious. Inuyasha slowly sat up and rubbed his head. 

Then a smile lit his features. "You got all you needed to know Baba?"

Kaede was still recovering from the initial shock of the power that had just come from Kagome. She snapped out of her daze and answered, "Y-yes."

Inuyasha then noticed that Kagome was lying motionless on her bedding.

"What's wrong with her Baba?" Inuyasha worriedly asked.

"Inuyasha let me check your chest. You took the full force of that blast."

"I'm fine, now why did Kagome pass out?"

"It was the same as the last time she attacked. Remember how she passed out? I guess when she attacks, the energy rushes from her body. She is healthy enough to only fall unconscious though. She should wake up as soon as her body regains some of its energy. We will just have to make sure she never attacks when she is seriously injured. Or else using her power will kill her because she wouldn't have much energy to begin with."

Inuyasha then stood himself up again, using the wall to steady himself. "Start teaching her to control herself as soon as she is awake Baba. If she actually is ever injured enough and she can't control that power, she'll die. And if she accidentally attacks me again, I might not be able to take it." Then he smiled and looked down at Kagome's sleeping face. He features turned serious as he watched her chest rise and fall to a pattern of slightly staggered breathing. "I just hope this isn't more than she can handle."

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

Hey everybody. Thanks for reading! Please leave a review pointing out things you liked or things I should change. Oh, and I'm gonna do a little bit of advertising. Go check out 'The Beginning or the End' by The Deity of Fun Dinner. It's a great story, and she is almost at 1000 reviews. Let's help her get there!

Talk to ya later everyone!

Love ya Lots

Vold


	11. Things Becoming Clearer

Author's Note- As always, thank you so much for the reviews. I can use as much advice and as many compliments as I can get! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer- I don't own these characters, though I need to see a therapist to help me deal with that! J

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 11

Things Becoming Clearer

Kagome awoke an hour or so later to find herself looking into two big brown eyes. She immediately recognized Shippou's adorable little kitsune face and smiled up at him.

"Are you okay Kagome?" He asked.

"I think so Shippou."

A smile cracked onto Shippou's face, "You really hit dog boy hard. I could hear him hit that wall from down the hall!"

Memory of what had happened before she passed out rushed through Kagome's mind. "Is Inuyasha okay!?"

"He's fine, just a little shocked and worried." Sango answered.

Kagome sat up abruptly not realizing Sango was in the room. "Oh, hi Sango." 

Sango gave her a curious look, "You really can't sense our auras anymore can you?"

Kagome sadly shook her head, "It seems like I lost all of the few miko powers I have mastered."

"But now you can blast Inuyasha into a wall!" Shippou laughed.

Kagome looked at Sango again. "Sango, did Kaede tell you what was going on?"

"Yep, she said whenever you feel angry or protective you attack." Sango chuckled a little at how simple she had made the problem seem.

Kagome looked worried, "It really isn't funny. I have to get control of this. What if I end up hurting one of you?"

Sango pulled her friend into a hug. "Kaede says she knows a way to keep your magic under control. She said she could explain as soon as you feel up to it."

Kagome backed away from Sango, "Get Kaede then. I feel fine now, and I can't stand being a threat to everyone's safety."

"I'll get her!" Shippou squealed.

"Thank you Shippou." And with that, Shippou ran out of the room.

"Did Kaede explain anything else to you Sango?"

"Well she said earlier that you attack with pure energy. She also mentioned to me that there could be other emotions that set you off."

"That is true Sango." Kaede commented as she entered the room.

"Kaede, _please_ tell me there is a way for me to get rid of this magic?" Kagome pleaded.

"I do not think you can, nor do I think you would want to. That power could prove useful in the end. I have a question for you though. You said that your first attack was green, yet your second was blue correct?"

Kagome nodded her head in agreement. Sango made herself comfortable by leaning against a nearby wall.

"If I am correct, your emotions seem to take on a color of the spectrum. Since protection is a more powerful emotion then anger, the color it had when released was higher up on the spectrum then that of anger. The colors of the rainbow correspond to the colors of your emotions. If blue had enough power to throw Inuyasha against a wall, I fear what emotion corresponds to red. If my theory is right, the most powerful emotion will take on a red color, and it will be extremely deadly if shot out randomly."

"That is what I am afraid of Kaede!" Kagome whispered. "What if that emotion is accidentally set off? What if any of my emotions get set off?"

"Only certain emotions will build enough energy inside of you to form your attack. We have identified two as being anger and protectiveness. So you can notice if you begin to feel too much of one of those emotions. If you do, you might notice the light building on your fingers. Immediately find something to use that energy for. Start running or just put a ton of effort into the task you are doing or something of that nature."

"Okay, so if I acknowledge that I am angry or feeling too protective, I should run like a crazy person and waste my energy?"

"Either that, or attack. And attacking will knock you unconscious because it uses all of your energy. You would stay unconscious until you regain it."

"So I shouldn't attack at all?"

"Actually, if you are in a fight, this could prove useful. And if you let an emotion become _too_ powerful, you cannot stop yourself from releasing the magic from your body as an attack. That is why you need to make sure you keep your emotions in a balance. If one is dominating, you need to focus on something else to prevent it from taking complete control over your actions.

 However, if you feel you are in a situation where your attack could prove useful, as soon as you acknowledge feeling a certain emotion, focus on it and build it up. If light starts to form at your fingertips, place your hands in front of you about a foot apart. Focus all of your energy in between that space, and a ball of power should form between your hands. It will be whatever color the emotion was that the energy fed off of. Aim and shoot the light. At least your attack will be focused and not un-aimed and reckless like it has been. But you have to make sure you are strong enough to withstand losing your energy. If you are wounded or very tired, you cannot attack or else your body will completely shut down." Kaede's face turned grave.

Kagome's head felt dizzy after absorbing all of this information.

"So I'll die if I am too weak to release my energy as an attack?"

"I regret saying this, but that is correct."

 Sango spoke up, "So Kagome needs to stop an emotion from being held inside of

 her, or else energy will build up and shoot out at whatever is closest."

"Kind of. Hopefully, Kagome will no longer hold in her emotions all the time. However, we are unaware of what other emotions set her off. And we will not know until she feels them. In the case that Kagome attacks and her magic is not blue or green, immediately ask her what she was feeling at the time she attacked. That way you can figure out which emotions set her off."

"Alright Lady Kaede. And Kagome, you cannot always pretend to be happy for our sake. If something is wrong, you need to tell us." Miroku commented as he entered the room. "Kaede and I have discussed her theory. I will personally keep an eye on Kagome at ALL times to check up on how she is doing."

**WHACK**

"Hentai." Sango mumbled.

"I was speaking only from the goodness of my heart. I am a monk. I would never take advantage of Kagome just because she needs someone to keep up on how she is feeling."

"You make it sound like I need a babysitter." Kagome grumbled.

"No, Kagome you especially need to be in charge of watching yourself. You cannot bottle up emotions until they get too much power and release. It will help however to have someone to talk to if you should feel emotionally weighed down."

"I'll do it!" Sango enthusiastically cheered. Kagome smiled at her dear friend. But she also had a meaningful glance from Miroku. Kagome would tell Sango if she felt stressed or angry (probably from a certain hanyou). But for the things that really were held in (like how she felt about a certain hanyou), she would need to talk to Miroku. 

The certain hanyou that Kagome had been musing about strode into the room. He looked relieved to see Kagome smiling up at him, but he quickly changed his face to one of annoyance, "You're finally up? Good, now we can go find our part of the jewel that that worthless demon stole from you."

Sango, Miroku, and Kaede turned shocked eyes on Inuyasha. "You knew the shards were missing?" Sango asked.

"Feh, I'm not stupid!"

"It was kind of you to give all of this extra, yet very much needed rest to Kagome then. You must be worried about her health." Miroku commented.

Inuyasha blushed and turned his back from the group. "Shut up monk." And he walked out of the room.

"He didn't deny that he was worried about you Kagome." Sango whispered and winked at her dear friend. "Inuyasha? Don't you want to know what we figured out about Kagome's powers? She knows how to keep them under control now." Sango yelled after his retreating form.

"Good, then she needs to do it. I don't want to be hit again! Besides, I was able to hear most of that conversation anyway. As long as she can sense the shards, that's all I need to know. Now everyone get your butts up! We're leaving as soon as Kagome gets her things together."

Kagome stood up and walked into a nearby room. She felt much better. There was very little pain in her chest, and she could walk fine. She quickly changed from the simple white kimono to her usual school uniform, and threw all of her things into her yellow backpack and slung it onto her shoulder. It was removed however by Inuyasha. He put the backpack on his own shoulders and shrugged at her confused look, "You'll just wear yourself out and you need to regain your strength." Kagome smiled her thanks.

The group set out into Inuyasha's forest in the direction where Kagome had lost the shards to see if the kotsonu was still around. Kaede watched the strange band of travelers as they walked off. "If only they knew what they could be getting themselves into. Kagome has barely tried out her magic. Please gods, let them all come back unharmed."  


	12. Overwhelmed

A/N- Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter took me a little long to post. The action will begin to pick up soon, I promise! Love ya lots! 

Disclaimer- I hate writing this. I am still in denial, but I guess I don't own InuyashaL

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 12

Overwhelmed

            The little group had been walking for hours now, and the sky was streaked with colors from the setting sun. Kagome was beginning to grow weary even without the heavy load of her backpack that usually weighed her down. Shippou was sitting on her shoulder asleep. She mentally wondered just how the little fox was able to stay balanced on her shoulder while he was asleep. They were walking on an old path through a very desolate forest. Kagome had barely seen any life such as squirrels or birds that entire day. She looked up in awe at the sky. The colors were beautiful. Every color of the rainbow was shooting from the burning sun that was sinking slowly in the west. The thoughts that entered Kagome's mind however dampened her mood. _'The colors are so beautiful. But they remind me of my stupid new power. Gods, why do I have to be stuck with this? I could hurt somebody!'_

            Kagome still had trouble digesting the information that Kaede had told her. A frown crossed her face as she remembered the old miko's words. _'If I am too tired or wounded and I attack, then I will die. Geez, I might as well just give in to death right now. There is no way I will be able to control my powers. If I don't end up killing myself when I accidentally attack, then I'll just kill one of my friends.' _

            Sango noticed the glum expression on her friends face and quickly jumped into the motherly role, "Kagome, what's wrong?" She draped her arm around her friend's shoulder to comfort her from whatever had bothered her.

            "Nothing Sango. I'm just tired." Kagome answered. But she mentally groaned, _'Not again!'_ Miroku, Shippou, and Sango had been interrogating her every time she wasn't one hundred percent happy. They immediately would make her tell them what was bothering her and would try to reassure her. Kagome felt like such a bother having them worry over her so much. She was also rapidly becoming annoyed.

            "Kagome, Kaede said not to hold anything in. What if you were suddenly feeling angry and lost control of it before you could acknowledge it? You need to tell us the moment you feel emotional."

            Kagome hated being reminded of this. Sango had managed to repeat to her these exact words _way_ too many times that day. Kagome knew that she couldn't let herself get too angry or protective. She knew she had to express her emotions before they got out of control, and that if they did, she would have to put her effort into doing something else. Kagome didn't want to tell Sango that she was having thoughts about killing herself. Of course Kagome wasn't serious, she was just a little depressed. There was no reason to freak everybody out. She didn't think anybody could understand what she was going through. She needed someone who could give her advice. _'Sango can't because she doesn't seem to understand that it isn't easy to just go and spill your feelings to someone. Miroku isn't exactly very good when it comes to talking about self-control. He can barely keep his hands to himself. Shippou doesn't understand the seriousness of everything. I couldn't talk to Kirara, obviously. And Inuyasha wouldn't want to listen, nor would he understand in the slightest.'_ Kagome's head drooped as she thought this. _'No, Inuyasha doesn't seem to even care about me. But he seemed so nice when I was back at Kaede's.'_

            "Kagome? Hey come on, why aren't you answering?" Sango waved her hand in front of Kagome's face.

            "Huh? Oh sorry Sango. What were you saying?"

            "I asked if you wanted to stop soon."

            "Yea, I'm really getting tired."

            "Hey Inuyasha!" Sango called to the hanyou who was walking a good thirty feet in front of the two girls. The hanyou turned around grumpily already knowing what the demon exterminator was going to ask.

            "Can we stop for tonight?"

            "No." And with that, Inuyasha turned around and began to walk again.

            "Come on Inuyasha! Everyone is tired, not to mention that Kagome just got back on her feet. She needs to rest!"

            Kagome frowned at being treated like a baby again. However, she was extremely tired and wouldn't mind some sleep. Inuyasha had only allowed them to stop twice that day. Because Kagome was so tired, she didn't notice the large tree root jutting from the ground. She tripped and fell to the ground with a yelp of pain. Shippou was thrown off of her shoulder and he landed in a small ball a few feet in front of Kagome's fallen form.

            "Kagome are you okay?"

            Kagome slowly started to stand again. She had a small cut on her knee that was bleeding. "Yea, just a cut. Sorry about that, I can be so clumsy sometimes." Kagome gave her friend an encouraging smile. She picked up the small ball that was Shippou and chuckled when she found he was still asleep. He hadn't even noticed that he had been roughly thrown to the ground. She held the little kit in her arms and began to rock him slightly.

            Miroku who had been walking slightly behind them spoke up, "Kagome, you will have to clean and bandage that before it becomes infected."

            Sango turned to glare at Inuyasha who had stopped and was looking worriedly at Kagome. Noticing Sango's glare, his expression changed to annoyance. "No way are we stopping already. Kagome said she was sensing a large shard in this direction. That stupid kotsonu can't be far from here. Besides, it lost all of its power when it attacked Kagome, so even with the Shikon shards, it might not be at it's full potential yet. We need to strike when it is still weak!"

            "Inuyasha, if we actually caught up to the kotsonu, you'd be the only one in any condition to fight him. All of us are dead tired, and you can't fight him on your own. He is going to be very difficult to kill even if he hasn't regained all of his power yet!"

            "Feh." Inuyasha knew he had lost this argument and jumped into a nearby tree to keep his pride. Kagome and the rest of the group wandered off of the path and set up camp in a small clearing. Miroku began to gather firewood while Kagome looked around for her yellow pack which Inuyasha had been carrying. She found it lying under a nearby tree, which she knew Inuyasha was resting in the branches of. He must have dropped it down to the ground so she could have access to it. Kagome smiled, and pulled out some matches. She struck on, and threw it on the small pile of sticks and such that Miroku had managed to gather. Soon a cheery blaze shone through the darkening night.

            "Is anyone hungry?" Kagome questioned.

            "Not really Lady Kagome. It would seem that Sango, Shippou, and Kirara are already asleep. I think that is the best idea at the moment. Get some rest okay? We will all eat in the morning."

            Kagome sighed and pulled her sleeping bag out of the large backpack that resided next to her. She spread it out a short distance from the small fire and crawled into it. She soon heard Miroku's shallow breathing signifying that everyone now seemed to be asleep. _'Wow, everyone must have been extremely tired.' _But even with Kagome's body screaming for sleep, her mind wouldn't allow it. _'No one has any idea just how badly I could hurt them. I haven't had any practice with my power. I could just snap any minute. I hit Inuyasha really hard before. I don't think he admitted just how much I really hurt him. Maybe I should just run away. I wouldn't be a risk to everybody anymore. I feel like a walking bomb, ready to explode any minute. What if I killed somebody?_' Tears began to form at the corners of Kagome's eyes. This was all really too much for her. She felt helpless at the thought of her inability to control herself if her emotions got too powerful. 

            But before Kagome could think any further on the subject, two strong arms came from behind her and she felt herself being lifted off of the ground.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Inuyasha had been waiting patiently for everyone to fall asleep. He had been watching Kagome for most of the day. He noticed when she would suddenly seem to zone out and be thinking deeply. Miroku, Sango, and Shippou had kept her in check though. They caught her most of the times that she would seem to fall silent, and they would ask her what was wrong. He watched Kagome pull out her sleeping bag and lie down in it_. 'She's an evasive little wench that's for sure.'_ He knew she hadn't been telling the truth when asked what was wrong. She came up with some lame excuse and would dodge the real issue. But he figured that whatever was bothering her couldn't be too horrible or she would have told them. The hanyou watched as Kagome desperately seemed to try to go to sleep. He always watched her sleep at night. She was so peaceful. Looking at her angelic face, a memory flashed across his mind.

            _'I have always lo---'_

_'What was she going to say? I can't ask her. She doesn't seem to even remember anything from that moment! I really need to drop this. She doesn't love me. She attacked me for Gods sake!'_ But Inuyasha knew he couldn't hold that against her. Kagome barely has any control over her powers.

            Inuyasha's ears perked up at the sound of someone crying softly. He immediately smelled the dreadful scent of Kagome's tears. He HATED, I repeat HATED it when she cried_. 'Maybe I was wrong. Maybe there really is something wrong. Kagome, don't tell me you have been holding something from everyone when Kaede specifically told you to spill your guts if you ever felt overwhelmed!'_ Inuyasha grew worried as Kagome's crying continued. _'That's it. She's gonna tell me what's wrong before she becomes too emotional!'_

            So Inuyasha leaped gracefully from his perch in the tree and walked quietly over to the crying girl. Her eyes were closed and she couldn't sense his aura, so she didn't know he was coming. He scooped her up in his arms and jumped back up into the tree he had come down from.

            Kagome began struggling when he wouldn't let her go. She didn't seem to realize it was him yet. "Shh, Kagome calm down, it's just me." 

            "Inuyasha?" Kagome snapped out of her fright and took in her surroundings. Inuyasha had her cradled against him, and she was up in a tree. _'Great, I hate heights.'_ She mentally groaned. 

            "Why are you crying?"

            "I'm not." Kagome hastily wiped away any tears that remained in her eyes.

            "Don't lie to me. There is something wrong, and you're gonna tell me."

            "I don't have to tell you anything. You don't even care. You're only doing this because Kaede told everyone to make sure I didn't hold anything in." Kagome was growing angry. She wanted to go to sleep, and she didn't want to have to talk to Inuyasha about things he would probably make fun of her for.

            "Kagome shut up. And I mean it. I'm worried about you okay. Something is bothering you, and I want to fix it. And don't you dare start to get mad. You'll fall from this tree if you lose control." Inuyasha set Kagome so she was sitting on the branch with her back against the trunk of the tree. The branch was wide and he was able to sit across from her.  

            "You'll probably make fun of me, and you wouldn't understand anyway." Kagome mumbled. Her anger subsided not only from his warning, but also from the sincerity of his words.

            "Try me."

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

Okay everyone, I need to know something. Is Sesshoumaru the Lord of the Eastern lands or the Western Lands??? If any of you know, PLEASE tell me in your review! Thank you for any help you can give!


	13. Identical Fear

A/N- Sorry I took so long to get this out everyone. Life is a pain at the moment, but I'll try not to take such a long break from updating again! Love you all and please review!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 13

Identical Fear

            "Inuyasha, thank you for caring, but it's nothing. I am just paranoid or something."

"Kagome, if it made you cry then it isn't nothing. Stop lying to me."

"I'm not lying to you. I never would lie to you."

"Okay, then tell me the truth!" Inuyasha hadn't realized how demanding he was sounding. But he needed Kagome to tell him what was wrong. If she didn't, she could lose control of her emotions if the slightest thing happened. 

 Kagome pulled her knees up against her and buried her face against her arms. "I feel like a threat Inuyasha. I mean, I have always wanted some power to protect myself so I wouldn't be such a burden-"

Inuyasha cut her off, "You're not a burden."

Kagome looked up a little shocked at the kindness of his words. "Thank you, but I really can't do much to help out in a fight or anything. But now, when I finally get power, I can't control it. It's the perfect example of 'Be careful what you wish for.' I'm scared I'm going to hurt somebody.

 I don't know why I'm telling you this Inuyasha. You won't understand." Kagome suddenly saw a smile creep onto the hanyou's face.

"You really are stupid sometimes aren't you Kagome?"

"What? I thought you said you weren't going to make fun of me. You jerk."

"That's not what I meant. And calm down before you become too angry." 

Kagome huffed but quickly counted to ten and took a deep breath. "What did you mean then?"

"How could you think I wouldn't understand? I understand a lot better then you think I do wench."

Kagome let the cruel name slip by. "Huh?"

"I have always wanted power. I wanted to become a full demon. But then I actually became a full demon when I lost Tetsusaiga that one time. I guess I got what I wished for. I had so much power. I couldn't control myself though. I completely lost my mind. I could've hurt any of you without even knowing it." Inuyasha had been looking off in the distance as he explained himself. 

Kagome got the feeling that he really needed to talk about this. It had been bothering him for a long time apparently. She was shocked at the similarities between what they were both going through.

Inuyasha looked right into Kagome eyes. "Kagome, it scared me. But I have somewhat gotten over that fear. I have Tetsusaiga to block my demon blood from taking control."

"You're lucky then. What do I have to block my power?"

"You have me-" Inuyasha blushed and quickly finished, "And uh, Sango and Miroku."

"What do you mean Inuyasha?"

"You can control your powers by staying calm. In order to keep your cool, you need to talk to one of us, just like you did now. Don't you feel better now that you have gotten what was bugging you out in the open?"

"Your right Inuyasha." Kagome admitted. "Thank you." Kagome leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him in a thankful embrace.

"Uh, um… no p-problem." Inuyasha always got nervous when she hugged him. _"Oh well, the only thing I can do is hug her back."_ He thought to himself. He loosely wrapped his arms around Kagome, who was resting her head against his chest. "Hey, did you just say 'You're right Inuyasha?'" 

"Yea." Kagome mumbled into his chest.

"I like the sound of that."

"Don't get used to hearing it." Kagome yawned and nuzzled her face a little against his chest. "Inuyasha?" Kagome mumbled sleepily. She was exhausted and her eyes just didn't seem to want to stay open.

"What?" 

"Don't let me fall okay?"

Inuyasha smiled as Kagome fell asleep against him. As he heard her breathing even out, signaling her being fast asleep, he whispered back. "Don't worry Kagome. I would never let you fall."

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      

Kagome awoke the next morning to find herself in her sleeping bag. _'Inuyasha must have brought me down.' _She reasoned.

"Kagome? Come on wake up. I'm hungry. Can you make me some ramen pleeeeease?" A bouncy Shippou asked from his place on top of her head. The young girl opened her eyes to see the two little brown kitsune eyes looking pleadingly down at her.

"I'm up Shippou. Now get off me please." Kagome yawned and stretched her arms up over her head when the kitsune jumped off his perch. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and then acknowledged the kit's request. "Can you go get some water Shippou? There has to be a stream nearby or something."

"Sure! Hey Inuyasha?"

"What?" A gruff voice asked from up a nearby tree.

"Is there any water or something around here? Kagome needs it to cook some ramen."

The hanyou jumped down from his perch in the tree and answered. "Yea brat, there is a hot spring about a half mile that way."

"That's kind of far Inuyasha. Isn't there anything closer?" Kagome commented while getting out of her sleeping bag. She stood up and Shippou immediately bounced into her arms.

"Nope. We _could_ all get are butts in gear and travel there together. But since our three lounging companions seem a little too lazy to move, one of us will have to go get the water while the other keeps watch."

            Kagome smiled as she looked over at Sango and Miroku who were sleeping pretty near each other, no doubt thanks to Miroku. Kirara was sleeping curled in a ball next to Sango. They were fast asleep and had been exhausted the day before, so there was no point in waking them and making them travel without anything to eat. 

"I'll go get it. And Shippou will come with me. Inuyasha you stay here so those two will have someone to protect them while they're sleeping. We'll be back in about a half hour okay?"

"No way are you going by yourself! What if you get attacked?" Inuyasha quickly put in.

"I do not need a constant babysitter Inuyasha. Besides, I'll be fine. Shippou will protect me, right Shippou?" Kagome smiled down at the little kitsune in her arms and ruffled his hair.

"Yea, I'll protect her." Shippou puffed out his chest at being assigned such an important job. Kagome giggled and started walking into the woods with her bag slung over her shoulder. She heard Inuyasha's slight protest, but she ignored him. She needed some time by herself, and Shippou wouldn't be a bother. She might take a well-needed bath in this hot spring anyway, so she didn't want Inuyasha hovering around.

Shippou climbed atop her shoulder and began to look around the area. The two were getting further and further into the woods. After about ten minutes, Kagome found a large hot spring. Shippou jumped from her shoulder and dove into the water. His little head popped out from under the water and yelled "Kagome, it feels so good! Come on in!" 

"One second Shippou I need to fill up the water bottles." Kagome continued to open her bag and pulled out about six empty water bottles. She filled them up and tossed them back into her backpack. She didn't have to worry about how clean the water was because she would be boiling it anyway.

She had no idea of the turmoil that was going on back at camp.

*                              *                               *                                *                               *

           Inuyasha had watched Kagome's retreating figure for as long as he could. He sat down next to the fire that Kagome had lit right before she left, and decided to glare at his slumbering companions. His eyes fell upon the sleeping form of Kirara and mentally cursed himself for not waking the fire cat and sending her with Kagome to protect the young girl. '_Kagome just would have gotten angry anyway. She hates to be fussed over. But wait a minute! Kagome can't sense auras anymore, so Kirara can just spy on her from close by. She can make sure Kagome doesn't get hurt! Besides, Kirara's a demon, so she doesn't need as much sleep as Miroku and Sango.' _

              Inuyasha began strolling over to Kirara and nudged the cat with his foot. Kirara opened one eye to confirm who it was, closed her eye again, and ignored the hanyou. "Come on Kirara, I want you to follow Kagome."

               Kirara opened her eyes and yawned. She nodded realizing that the hanyou actually had a good reason for waking her up. But as soon as she began to rise, she stopped. There was something wrong. Inuyasha had sensed it too. He became very still and his ears perked up and swiveled in all directions. Everything was dead quiet. Inuyasha's senses seemed to shut down as he suddenly couldn't smell or hear anything. Kirara looked at him confused as Inuyasha's eyes bulged in fear. A look of dread fell on his features and he looked around wildly as if expecting something. 

              The hanyou made a mad dash towards the direction Kagome had just left in, but he didn't get five feet before he was thrown backwards onto the ground. He seemed to have run into some sort of invisible wall. Suddenly an image appeared in front of the hanyou. It was a large picture of him when he was little chasing a ball across a bridge. He turned towards Kirara looking at an image in front of her. It was a picture of Kirara as a kitten and a young Sango was sitting by a lake stroking the cat's fur. She seemed mesmerized by the image. But Inuyasha's voice turned her attention back towards the hanyou. "They're memories Kirara." He turned worried eyes upon the image of his young self. The image soon turned to one of his mother hugging him when he was little and had fallen. "Kagome's in trouble." He whispered. 


	14. Helpless To A Kidnapping

A/N- Hello everybody!  I am not too fond of this chapter, but I am very critical of myself. I hope you guys enjoy it! Please review, I appreciate any advice you can give me to make my writing better!

Disclaimer- Grrrr…….I wish!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 14

Helpless to a Kidnapping

            Kagome looked at Shippou's little head floating above the water. She smiled at him, and he returned the smile. But his eyes suddenly focused on something behind Kagome and his expression turned to one of fear. Kagome felt a strange tugging at the back of her mind. She recognized the feeling immediately. _' A Shikon shard!' _ 

"Kagome! Watch out!" The little kitsune shrieked. 

Before Kagome could react, a clawed hand grabbed her throat from behind her. She made a desperate gasp for air, but the hand restricted further against her neck, cutting off almost all of her precious oxygen supply. "Oh look what I have here. It's that whore that stole my magic from me. But in return, I have her precious Shikon no Tama. Now miko, I have come to take my power back." A cold voice hissed into her ear.

"Fox Fire!" Shippou desperately attacked the monster that had hold of Kagome. The beast looked much like wolf, a very large and evil wolf. It was standing like a human would, and it had black fur covering its entire body. Blood red eyes turned towards the little fox when his attack came into contact with the monster. However, the little ball of flame did little to hurt the wolf-like creature. He bared his fangs and swung his hand that was not holding onto Kagome. Black light shot from the claws and was thrown like daggers at the kitsune. Shippou ducked his head under water and narrowly escaped the attack.

The tips of the demon's claws pierced Kagome's skin slightly. Drops of blood fell from her neck. Kagome felt herself falling into darkness. She fought against it and tried to stay conscious. But she found her attempt hopeless as her eyelids closed and she was soon encompassed by peaceful unconsciousness.   

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      

            Inuyasha tried again and again to break the barrier that surrounded him and the rest of his comrades. He had Tetsusaiga drawn and continued to charge into the invisible wall that surrounded him. Sango and Miroku had awoken recently and were also trying their best to break through. But they were also somewhat transfixed on watching their own memories. Inuyasha cursed under his breath. 

"Don't watch your memories you idiots! They are there to distract you! Kagome is in trouble!"

A look of understanding passed Sango's face. "The kotsonu!" She cried in sudden realization. 

"No way!" Inuyasha hissed sarcastically. "I thought you guys realized that already! This is what happened to me! Only last time the barrier didn't last this long!"

"The kotsonu is in possession of most of the Shikon no Tama. Its powers must have increased immensely." Miroku added.

"And it is getting revenge on Kagome for taking its power last time! Now let's get out of here so I can protect her!" Inuyasha yelled in a mad fury. "And um…so I can get back my jewel shard!" He quickly covered.

"Inuyasha, do not lose your focus! We do not seem to be able to break through the barrier. The kotsonu cannot hold up this barrier forever. All we can do is wait." Miroku had his usual calm expression in place.

"What!? No way am I sitting around waiting. It is hard enough to stay in here having to watch our stupid memories! But Kagome has no one to protect her!"

"Why is she alone anyway!?" Sango yelled at the hanyou. She was just as frightened for Kagome's safety, but it seemed they were helpless to do anything.

"She went with Shippou to get water to boil to make ramen for breakfast. She told me to stay here and protect you guys while you slept. She said you idiots needed your rest." Inuyasha didn't mean to sound so harsh, but he was scared for Kagome, and he needed someone to blame beside himself. He had that guilty feeling again that this was all his fault. 

            "So you let her go by herself into the woods when you knew the kotsonu was close by? It was obvious that the kotsonu would want revenge on her, but you allowed her to get attacked anyway!" Sango yelled. "I am just as scared for her as you Inuyasha. But you are not helping matters by blaming this on us! You are the one that let Kagome go without protection."

_'There was that damn blame again.' _It only served to make Inuyasha defensive. "Shippou went with her!" But his excuse even sounded lame in his ears. "Besides, she was getting angry being fussed over all the time. She _can't_ get angry remember! I figured going with her would only piss her off. 

"Inuyasha, Shippou cannot save her from a demon with a Shikon shard! I think taking the risk of Kagome getting angry with you, and having a chance to try to learn to control that emotion, is a little bit better than her being killed! She had enough energy to survive in case it got out of hand and she attacked, but she needs to learn to hold in her power!" Miroku shot back.  

            "Since when are_ you_ Kagome's little magic expert!? She doesn't even talk to you about anything monk! So shut up! You don't know her at all! And she is NOT going to be killed!" Inuyasha yelled.

_'How clueless can you really be Inuyasha?'_ Miroku thought. But before he could voice his thoughts, Kirara mewed. Everyone turned to look at the cat. Kirara stared at all of them, rolled her eyes, and took her paw and pointed at the barrier in front of her. Or where the barrier WAS in front of her. Inuyasha realized that at some point during his argument with Miroku, the barrier had broken. 

Angry with himself for wasting time, Inuyasha leapt off in the direction that Kagome had gone in about half an hour before. The others followed behind the incredibly fast hanyou. It didn't take Inuyasha long to come across the hot spring. His heart almost stopped when he saw that Kagome wasn't there, but her backpack was. He smelt her blood faintly and immediately tried to sniff out the direction in which she had gone. 

"Inuyasha!" A distressed little kitsune cried. Shippou was making his way slowly out of the hot spring from where he had been hiding behind a large rock. He was crying and he clung his little hands on Inuyasha's pant leg, sobbing into the material. 

"What happened?!" Inuyasha growled.

"She was being strangled! This scary monster had her by the throat. He attacked me, but I went under water and didn't get hit. Kagome passed out and *sniffle* and he took her away!" Shippou began to sob again. 

"Where did he take her?" Miroku asked worriedly.

"I don't know! They went that way!" Shippou pointed his little finger towards the dark forest to their left. "He said he was going to take his power back!"

"Let's go!" Inuyasha shook the clinging fox off of his leg and was about to bolt off into the woods.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled.

"What monk?!" Inuyasha angrily spat. "I have had enough of your crap today. I am in no mood to get scolded like a child again!"

"Then quit _acting_ like a child! We need a plan. The kotsonu cannot absorb Kagome's energy. It already learned its lesson from the last time it tried that. Inuyasha, we cannot just 'stop' such a powerful demon. He has Kagome. He will kill her if we try to save her and he knows about it. We will have to use the element of surprise. You cannot just go running after him blindly."

"Let's at least find where the kotsonu is. Then we can go from there." Sango offered.

"That's a pretty obvious plan. We could've come up with that _while _we were running! Now the demon has a head start!"

"Stay on guard Inuyasha." Miroku calmly said.

"Why?"

"We are at the edge of your brother's lands. He will be nearby."


	15. Persuasion

A/N- Sorry this took so long! Special thanks to StarHawke for the great review she left for the last chapter. This chapter is dedicated to you! Come on everyone! I want more than one review for each chapter! Not to be greedy, but I wanna know how I'm doing. This is my first story after all. Happy Reading!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 15

Persuasion

            Kagome awoke in a very uncomfortable position. She was slung over the shoulder of something that was running very fast over bumpy terrain. She felt her stomach crash into the creature's shoulder roughly every time it landed hard against the earth. She had no idea what was going on. Her head throbbed, and she wanted to gladly return back to being unconscious. But a nagging at the back of her mind warned her to stay awake. 

'Shikon shard' 

            _'That's right! I sensed a Shikon shard from whatever grabbed me. Was I kidnapped? Who is carrying me? My stomach is killing me!'_

Kagome quickly decided her course of action. She needed to at least see the face of her kidnapper. She could judge what to do from there.

The young girl slammed her knee into the chest of her carrier. She heard a growl and her body was thrown. Her form made contact roughly with the ground, and rocks scratched her pale skin. She angrily glared up at the thing that had thrown her. But she recognized the cold, blood red glare and recoiled in fear.

"Your that kotsonu aren't you?" Kagome whispered.

A malicious laugh escaped the creature's lips and he snarled, "What a good memory you have wench. Now I wouldn't recommend trying to harm me again. Or I will be forced to kill you right now."

"Why did you kidnap me?"

"I would simply like to take back what is rightfully mine."

"What?" Kagome frantically thought of what she could possibly have that belonged to the demon.

"You have my magic, and I would like it back. I can never reach my full power if you have some of it now can I? You see, I cannot absorb the power of the Shikon no Tama pieces I have acquired without my power. And my power just happens to reside in you." 

Kagome noticed the large Shikon shard, that was rightfully hers, that hung around the demon's neck. "B-but, you can't!" Kagome slowly grew less and less afraid. She stood up weakly. She asked boldly, "So what are you planning to do with me huh? You can't exactly absorb your magic back. You remember what happened last time?"

The kotsonu stepped forward and hit her hard in the face. "Listen miko, I can kill you if I want to. Don't give me that cocky attitude."

"But my miko and your magic mixed." Kagome murmured from where she had fallen once again to the ground from the blow. "If you drew it from me, you would be getting miko power along with your own. Do you want that?"

The demon snickered. "I am a kotsonu you stupid little girl. I have spells and magical answers for whatever I need. I will simply separate our magics."

"So what are you going to do?" Kagome asked again.

"You're asking too many questions." The kotsonu growled.

"Well I want to know what you're planning to do! Can't I at least know my fate?"

This time claws raked across Kagome torso. She cried out in pain and rolled herself into a ball. 

"What did I tell you about getting too cocky?!"

Kagome lay silent.

"I am going to need you to drink this." The kotsonu pointed to a small bottle that hung around his neck on a chain beside the Shikon shard.

"And you expect me to do this because…?"

"Do you want to get hit again? The potion will not kill you. It merely separates your soul. Our magics in you will each join one side. So I will remove one half of your soul, the one that my magic resides in." The kotsonu nonchalantly stated. 

Kagome looked at him quizzically. "You wouldn't tell me a thing before, and now you've said your whole plan?" She stood on her knees.

"Your soul has to be willing to split. The potion cannot force it."

Kagome almost laughed. "And why do you expect me to agree to this? You haven't done anything to make me want to help you ya know. Why would I help you regain your power?"

"You're pushing your luck miko." The kotsonu backhanded her and Kagome slumped onto the ground. "I have been watching you, and I already know the troubles that you now face because of your magic. Didn't you attack your little hanyou friend? You won't have to worry about that if I remove my magic."

Kagome almost immediately agreed. _'I can get rid of this power! I'll no longer be a threat.    _

_But if I am the only thing holding this demon back from reaching full power, then I-I can't do it. This demon is powerful enough. He is only keeping me alive to help him get his power back. If he did reach his full potential, with the jewel shards and his magic combined, then he will undoubtedly just kill me anyway, and then he'll just kill everyone else.' _Tears ran down her face.But with those tears came a determination that flooded through Kagome. "I won't do it!" She yelled at the demon. "Go ahead and hit me, or kill me, or whatever you want!" _'But no way is he going to hurt Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Shippou, or…Inuyasha.'_

"Maybe I should just go kill your hanyou then. Would that persuade you to be a little more agreeing? You seemed rather fond of him last night."

"What! You-you worthless excuse for a demon! You were spying on us?! Then you waited until I was alone didn't you?! You needed to get me alone and off guard? You wouldn't be able to kill him anyway if you're too scared to face him. You're bluffing!"

"I think you've talked too much miko. But there might be something easier to do that would persuade you to drink this potion." The kotsonu gestured towards a small stream not too far away. A rustling was heard, and a little girl about the age of five stepped out next to the stream from a nearby bush. She was followed by a small toad-like demon that Kagome immediately recognized as Jaken, Sesshoumaru's servant. The small child and toad demon did not see Kagome or the kotsonu, who were concealed by the bushes and trees in the dense forest. 

            "Rin, Sesshoumaru is not patient. Wash up quickly and then we must return." Jaken lectured the young girl. The girl named Rin seemed to ignore him and stuck her bare feet in the cool water. She was careful not to get her tattered kimono wet and she held it in her little hands above her knees.

            The kotsonu whispered menacingly into Kagome's ear, "It would be a shame if she died wouldn't it? Her cries of pain when I rip her apart bit by bit will hopefully persuade you miko." The demon called to her.

            Kagome's eyes widened with shock at the cruelness of the words. 

            "Run!" Kagome yelled. But the little girl named Rin didn't seem to hear her. Kagome realized that she found herself surrounded by some sort of barrier. Images appeared in front of her of her younger self, when she was first getting the training wheels removed from her bike. "What is going on!?" Kagome asked confused. The kotsonu ignored her, and he walked casually through the image.

The image turned into Kagome and her younger brother, Souta, having a pillow fight. Kagome smiled at the memory. But her smile was quickly removed when she remembered what was going on outside the barrier. 

She ignored the images and squinted her eyes to see the shape of the kotsonu not too far outside the barrier. He was walking slowly in the direction of the little girl.

Please review everyone! Tell me what you like and what can be improved about my story!

Lots of Love

Vold


	16. Focused Power, Enemy in Debt

A/N- Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter took so long. I know I left the last one at a cliffhanger, but it took me a while to get my ideas down on Microsoft Word. Love ya lots! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 16

Focused Power, Enemy in Debt

"Shippou, are you sure they went in this direction?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yep." Shippou responded.

Inuyasha's voice grew in intensity, "Then why haven't we found the slightest trace of Kagome and the kotsonu?!" 

"Calm down Inuyasha!" Miroku advised. "I will venture to guess that you still cannot catch her scent?" The monk stated matter-of-factly. The hanyou glared at him, but Miroku simply offered, "Then they must have quite a lead on us."

The small group of Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Kirara had been traveling for quite a few hours, heading deeper and deeper into the lands of the hanyou's brother. Sesshoumaru's domain was vast, and it seemed that the group was getting nowhere in their search for their kidnapped traveling companion. Inuyasha couldn't catch her scent, and he was worried beyond all belief. 

            Suddenly, a very unpleasant smell found its ways to Inuyasha's sensitive nose. He hated that smell and it made him stop in his tracks. "Wait!" The hanyou called.

            The rest of his companions turned expectant eyes upon him.

            "I smell Kagome's blood."

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Kagome continued to watch in fear as the kotsonu advanced painfully slow upon the young girl referred to as Rin. He seemed to be testing her, forcing her to agree to give him the power that he yearned for. Kagome could see the faint glow of the Shikon shard that hung around the demon's neck. _'I have to get out of here! That little girl…she'll be killed…because of…me!'_

_            "Her cries of pain when I rip her apart bit by bit will hopefully persuade you miko." _The cruel voice of the kotsonu entered Kagome's head. 

            "Leave her alone!" Kagome yelled frantically. But nothing outside the barrier seemed to hear her. Kagome kept herself from focusing on the images of the past that were being portrayed for her on the barrier walls. Her eyes, however, slipped to look upon the time when Inuyasha held her in his arms. It was after the battle with Sesshoumaru where the hanyou had admitted he had been afraid for her safety. 

_'Focus Kagome!' _Kagome mentally screamed at herself. She focused her eyes on the little girl that played still in the small river. She was laughing and splashed Jaken when he tried to pull the small girl out of the water. Jaken turned and began walking away. _'No don't leave her alone! She'll be killed!_ _She doesn't deserve to die!' _ Kagome felt power rush through her. She looked at her hands in shock when they began to glow an eerie green. 

_'Protection.'_

 Kagome realized instantly what she had to do. Her eyes flicked onto the freely bleeding scratches on her chest, and she quickly prayed that she was strong enough to survive what she was about to do. _'At least I can save her. It doesn't seem that I have much of a future anyway. My power won't be a danger to anyone if I'm dead.' _

With those excuses for probably taking her own life by of attacking, Kagome moved her hands in front of her as Kaede had instructed. A small ball of green light formed in the space between her hands. She watched in awe as the ball grew larger with each passing second. She took one last look at Rin, and it gave Kagome an extra burst of power, as she was overwhelmed with the need to protect the little girl. Kagome brought her hands up above her head, and crashed her arms forward to release the powerful sphere.

The light shot from Kagome's hands. Kagome had never felt so much pain all at once when she unleashed her attack, and she shrieked when the energy rushed from her small form. She felt like she was being torn apart. _'It's never hurt this much before.' _She noted.

Kagome struggled to stay conscious, and watched what happened with wide eyes. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. 

The beam of power shattered the barrier. It continued on its course to crash into the kotsonu. The demon was just about to rake his claws down at the small girl. The girl finally acknowledged the danger, and looked with fearful eyes at the demon. Her eyes squeezed shut waiting for the pain of claws to come. She screamed in fright, green light flashed, and then all was quiet. 

Rin opened her eyes when she realized that the pain never came. In front of her, was a smoldering pile of ashes, but nothing even remotely resembled a demon. She looked beyond the remains, and noticed a strangely dressed girl standing not so far away. The weird girl smiled and asked, "Are you alright." 

Rin nodded. The little girl watched in horror as her apparent savior fell to the ground in a bloody heap.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "Inuyasha, stop!" Miroku yelled. The group came to an abrupt halt at the urgency in the monk's voice. They had been traveling in the direction in which Inuyasha had smelt Kagome's blood not to long ago. The hanyou knew they were steadily getting closer and closer, and he was aggravated that the monk had made them stop.

            "What is it?" Inuyasha hissed. He was worried for Kagome more than he had ever been in his whole life. Kagome was defenseless, and apparently was hurt.

            "I just felt a huge surge of power in the direction where you smell Kagome's blood." 

            It took Inuyasha a few moments to register what the monk had said. At first he was confused, but then everything clicked. "She wouldn't…she couldn't have attacked! She's bleeding! Kaede said if she attacked when she was wounded she'd…she'd…" Inuyasha trailed off. 

"Inuyasha, is Kagome alright?" Shippou asked worriedly.

"I'm going ahead." And Inuyasha sprung forward in front of the group. He ran faster then he ever had. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and determination to save Kagome pushed his already tired body even faster. _'Hang on Kagome.'_

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      

            Sesshoumaru sniffed the wind and caught the scent of an unknown demon nearby. Fear for Rin's safety entered his mind. It was an unwanted feeling, and the demon lord quickly pushed it away. _'She is fine.' _He convinced himself. It wasn't uncommon for an unknown demon to stay in his lands. He just liked to keep track of what was going on in his territory. 

But then the demon lord picked up his brother's scent. _'Why is that half-breed here? He couldn't possibly be stupid enough to bring Tetsusaiga into my lands where I could easily take it from him.' _Sesshoumaru suddenly felt a huge shock of power and immediately froze. It had come from the direction he had sent Rin and Jaken in a few moments before.

Jaken stumbled out from the brush nearby. "Where is Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked calmly, though inside he was a bit frantic. 

"I don't want to play baby-sitter to that little brat anymore. My lord, must you continue to allow her to follow us?"

Sesshoumaru glared at the toad demon, "You left her alone?"

"Y-yes." Jaken began to get nervous under his master's cold glare. Sesshoumaru turned away and immediately went in the direction where he could pick up Rin's scent. 

"Rin!" He called to the small girl. 

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" He heard the little girl call to him frantically. Sesshoumaru picked up his stride and soon came to the clearing where he had instructed Jaken to take Rin. 

Sesshoumaru was in shock at the scene before him. He didn't show his shock of course, but it took him a few moments to take in what was in front of him. Rin was knelt over a young woman's body in tears. A pile of ashes lay a few feet in front of the demon lord. It smelled like the remains of a demon, but what force could have been destructive enough to cause a demon to practically be disintegrated? 

Sesshoumaru strode to the demon remains and noticed something reflect the sunlight. Being a demon, he knew exactly what it was, a shard of the Shikon no Tama, and a very large shard at that. Sesshoumaru was not after the jewel, but he stared curiously at it. _'Who would own such a large shard? Who is that girl? What killed this demon?' _

Sesshoumaru took in the strange garments of the young woman that Rin was by. She seemed familiar. He took in her scent and found blood, some strange floral smell, and…his brother! _'It's the little wench that follows my brother around! This must be her shard.'_

Sesshoumaru bent down and tugged at the chain that was connected to the Shikon no Tama shard, and he pulled the necklace from the ashes. He strode to Rin and made sure she wasn't hurt. Rin seemed fine, but the young woman was another story. 

Sesshoumaru took in the bloody scratches that showed through her tattered clothes. Sesshoumaru could hardly hear her heart beat. _'She is barely alive.' _

"Rin, what happened?" Sesshoumaru asked in a calm voice.

Rin looked up at the demon lord with tearful eyes. "Rin was almost killed. A demon tried to hurt Rin, but this girl shot green light at it. Then…*sniffle* then she fell. Is she dead Sesshoumaru-sama? She saved Rin. Rin was so scared."

"She killed the demon?" Sesshoumaru questioned disbelievingly. He immediately regained his composure when he noticed his impassive mood had slipped a bit.

"Yes. She saved Rin." Rin answered. 

"Just perfect." Sesshoumaru stated sarcastically. With a sigh, the demon lord very carefully picked the young woman up. _'I can't very well leave her on the ground.' _He placed the necklace with the Shikon shard on it around her neck. "Now I am in debt to my brother's wench." He mumbled. As a demon lord, he had to follow the codes of honor. He could not harm this girl, or his brother and their friends for that matter, for he now owed the young woman for saving Rin's life. 

"What are we doing Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"We must wait for my little brother, and return his girl to him."

"Will she be okay?"

"I don't know Rin. But it is not _my_ responsibility for her to get better, merely to make sure she is safe until in Inuyasha's hands." 

Sesshoumaru picked up Inuyasha's scent close by, and knew it wouldn't be long before he had to face his brother. 

Thanks for reading. Please review and tell me what you think!__


	17. Following In Footsteps

A/N- Yay!! I got 50 reviews! Wow, I got a ton of reviews for the last chapter! Thank you everyone! I love any comment I can get, and some of you guys were so sweet in your reviews. Thank you again! This chapter is out a little early! This chapter is dedicated to Tiger of the Wind for her inspiring reviews. They always make me smile! Thank a bunch Tiger. Oh, and everyone else, go read Tiger's fic 'Opposite Ends'! It is incredible!!!!

Happy Reading!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 17

Following in Footsteps

            Inuyasha was running at top speed. The smell of Kagome's blood was getting stronger by the second, and his instincts pushed him beyond all possible limits. When he reached a small clearing, an unexpected sight met him. 

There stood his brother, a little girl, a pile of ashes and bones that smelled like a demon, and finally his eyes found the unconscious form of a bleeding Kagome. A jumble of strange scenarios and ideas filled Inuyasha's mind. But there was one thing he knew he had to fix right now. No way was his brother allowed to put his hands on Kagome.

"Don't touch her!" He snarled at his brother.

"Well I wasn't going to leave her on the ground. It's not like I enjoy having to carry your wench." Sesshoumaru retorted.

Inuyasha ran up to his brother and held out his arms expectantly. With uncharacteristic care, Sesshoumaru gently laid Kagome's small form in his brother's arms so he could carry her bridal style. Inuyasha panicked when he could barely hear Kagome's heart beat. He also noticed how much blood she had lost. "Why didn't you stop the bleeding?!"

"I wasn't in the mood to remove her clothing." The demon lord stated matter-of-factly.

Inuyasha growled at the idea, and would have tried to hit his brother for the comment had Kagome not been in his arms. But the hanyou realized that Kagome's shirt was drenched in blood and it would have to be removed, like Sesshoumaru had said, in order to stop the bleeding. _'At least my idiot brother used his head. If he had even made a move to take off Kagome's clothes, he wouldn't be alive right now!'_

 

Sango, Miroku, and Shippou, on Kirara, came into the clearing. Sango's jaw dropped at the unexpected scene that greeted her.  

"What happened!?" Shippou shrieked.

Sango could only stutter out, "Why are you here Sesshoumaru? Shouldn't you be trying to kill us or…or something?"

Sesshoumaru grimaced at the demon exterminator's notice of the obvious. "Would you like for me to kill you? If not, then simply shut your mouth. I have my reasons to keep you alive at the moment."

"Kagome saved Rin!" Rin piped up. That was when Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippou first actually acknowledged the strange little human child hiding behind Sesshoumaru's leg.

"Since when do you care about humans?" 

"Kagome saved her?"

"Why isn't Kagome awake?"

"Did she attack?"

"It was the kotsonu right?"

The questions bombarded Sesshoumaru and he quickly became annoyed. "Brother, I wasn't here when your wench was hurt. I came after she left out an immense burst of power and apparently destroyed whatever that (he pointed towards the remains of the kotsonu) was."

"Sango, take Kagome on Kirara and clean her wounds. All of the supplies are in her bag at camp. We need to stop her bleeding, and we are too far from Kaede's to have access to any more medical supplies." Miroku suggested. Sango nodded and Kirara, in her larger form, walked over to Inuyasha. The hanyou carefully laid Kagome on Kirara's back. Sango hopped on behind Kagome's body and held onto the younger girl tightly. 

"Kirara, up!" And the three soared into the sky.

            "Kagome let out a big green blast and this scary demon exploded!" Rin offered what she knew.

"So she did attack." Miroku seemed to say more to himself. 

"Rin, we are leaving." Sesshoumaru stated.

"Where is Jaken Sesshoumaru-sama?" 

"I don't know nor do I care. Now come."

And the strange pair of a demon lord and a human child left into the woods. Inuyasha, realizing there was no longer a point to stay, bolted back to camp. Miroku followed with a crying Shippou on his shoulder.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Sango had returned to camp, grabbed Kagome's bag, and then gone to the hot spring to wash Kagome of all of the caked on blood. Thankfully, the bleeding had mostly stopped, and soon Sango had the young miko's chest bandaged up. She realized worriedly there were quite a few deep scratches across the girl's chest. The scar left from the first time Kagome had been attacked by the kotsonu was basically reopened. _'That scar will never leave.'_

Inuyasha ran into the area with the hot spring and stopped dead in his tracks at Kagome's lack of clothing. His eyes widened and he was thankful that she wasn't awake to 'sit' him. Sango glared at him, but sighed dejectedly. "Inuyasha, her clothes are all bloody and are basically ruined. She doesn't have anything extra in her pack, probably because she hasn't been home for a while."

"What's your point?" Inuyasha had covered his eyes with his hand.

"She needs something to wear. Any ideas? Oh, and I _know_ you have seen Kagome naked plenty of times. You don't have to cover your eyes. Try not to be immature about it though okay?"

"Here." Inuyasha removed his haori and handed it to Sango. She smiled and wrapped Kagome up in the warm red fabric. 

"Thank you Inuyasha." Then she added, "I know you were scared there for a minute that Kagome might be dead. But believe me, she will be fine. It will be like the other times she attacked. She had enough strength to survive attacking that demon when she was wounded. She would be dead otherwise. And don't try to cover that you were worried about the jewel. The shard is right here by the way." She gestured towards the large jewel shard around Kagome's neck. "I am guessing your brother found it and gave it back to her. Why do you think he did that?"

  "Kagome saved that little human girl with him. As strange as this sounds, I think he cares for her."

  "It's funny how both of you are following in your father's footsteps."

  "What's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha asked cautiously.

"Caring for a human girl."

  Inuyasha immediately got defensive. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sango began to laugh. "Would you like to carry Kagome back to camp?"

  Mumbling something about ridiculous ideas, the hanyou scooped up Kagome's unconscious from and bounded towards their camp. Sango chuckled and grabbed the water bottles that were by the hot spring. They were the ones Kagome had dropped before she was kidnapped. Sango then jumped onto Kirara. Miroku soon appeared with Shippou clinging to him. Sango stalled to let the monk and kitsune on the fire cat demon. She stopped Miroku's wandering hands with a good slap to the face, and the small group left the hot spring. 

*                            *                             *                                 *                               *

            "Well this is interesting." A cold voice murmured. 

            "What is master?"

             Naraku looked towards the mirror that Kanna held before him. It had images of Kagome shooting her energy. He looked back up to meet Kagura's questioning gaze.

            "It seems that Kikyo's reincarnation has acquired some sort of new power. How fascinating. How…tempting." His eyes gleamed dangerously. The mirror than showed an image of Inuyasha back at the camp with Kagome tucked tightly into his lap. "It also seems that Inuyasha has discovered his feelings for the girl. This is working perfectly. I will have to take her for my own and use her power to my advantage."

            "Why would you be attracted to a human girl?"

            "I am not as much attracted to the girl as I am to destroying Inuyasha."

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

Sorry if you thought this chapter was kind if pointless. I needed to get some new material out for all of you to read. Oh, and if you thought Sesshoumaru was a bit out of character, I'm sorry. I find he is a difficult character to write about. Please Review!

Lots of Love,

Vold


	18. Family

A/N- Hey everybody! Thank you SO much for all of the reviews. They are really starting to pick up and I love the feedback I am getting! I am glad you guys liked Sesshoumaru's character. The story might slow down a little bit, but the plot will pick itself right back up again soon! I promise! At the moment I have finals and I have to study hard. So don't expect an update for a little while. But who knows, maybe if I get a whole bunch of reviews I will be motivated to update! ;)

Disclaimer- 'Feh'   ( I stole that from another author. I think it sums it all up!)

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 18

Family

            Inuyasha was leaned against a tree trunk with Kagome in his lap. He looked at her pale face and was reminded of all the times she had fallen unconscious in the last few days. 

_'Will it always be like this from now on? Will Kagome attack and then we will have to wait around hoping she will gain her energy and wake up soon? How close was she this time to dying? She was hurt when she attacked, why would she risk her life knowingly? Was that little girl so important to save?' _Not for the first time did Inuyasha find himself thinking too much. 

He was angry at Kagome for risking her life. If she had died, he didn't know what he would have done. _'If she had died, part of me would have died with her. And she almost died for a stupid little human brat!' _

"Inuyasha?" Shippou's voice broke through the hanyou's thoughts. Inuyasha immediately saw the rest of his companions looking at him with either curious or knowing stares. He looked down and remembered that he had Kagome curled up in his lap. She was wearing his haori, and her face was nuzzled against his chest.

Trying to save some pride, he quickly began barking out orders to change everyone's focus. "Let's get some food ready! None of us have eaten today. Kagome has ramen in her bag, so boil some water and get it ready." Miroku and Sango exchanged exasperated looks, but did as they were instructed. Sango got a pot from Kagome's bag, poured in the water from the bottles she was carrying, and set the pot over a fire that Miroku had made. In little time at all, there were five cups of steaming ramen. 

"So what are our plans?" Sango questioned.

"I suppose we should wait here until Kagome wakes. It would be pointless to return to Kaede's, for she cannot do anything more to help Kagome. All we can do is wait. I wouldn't suggest traveling when she's unconscious, so we should get comfortable in this spot." Miroku stated.

"How long till she wakes monk?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, the last time she attacked, it was a day before she woke up. But we have to take into account that she was wounded, tired, and hadn't eaten when she attacked this time."

"Why would she be stupid enough to attack when she was bleeding?" Inuyasha growled.

"I doubt she knew what she was doing. It will take time for her to master how to control her power, so I bet she wasn't even aware that she was attacking." Miroku defended Kagome. 

Inuyasha's anger subsided when he realized Kagome might not have attacked on purpose.

"But she destroyed that kotsonu, so she must have focused her attack like Kaede told her to. It wouldn't have been powerful enough otherwise." Sango mused. Miroku suddenly grabbed Sango's hand and pulled her up off the ground. 

"Sango, will you help me look for this herb that might help Kagome regain her strength?" He winked at her.

Sango, slightly confused, but getting the hint that he really meant he needed to tell her something, nodded and followed him away from camp out of hearing distance.

            Inuyasha, Shippou, and Kirara watched the two leave with a questioning gaze. Each could tell that the monk wasn't looking for an herb, but the incident was ignored. When they could no longer see them, the three situated themselves to wait until their return. 

"Hey Inuyasha?" Shippou asked.

"Yeah twerp?" 

"Why did Kagome attack? What if she died?"

"She's not dead. I think Miroku was right. I don't think Kagome would be dumb enough to attack on purpose. She probably can't control herself yet, and she attacked without even thinking."

"What if it happens again?"

"I don't know Shippou."

"Hey Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect Kagome."

Inuyasha gave the kitsune an incredulous look. "I'm the one who shouldn't have let her go without me."

"Yeah, but I still couldn't protect her."

"I couldn't either." Inuyasha murmured more to himself.

Shippou decided to take advantage of this momentarily nice Inuyasha, and the little kit climbed carefully onto Kagome's stomach. He ignored Inuyasha's slight growl knowing that the hanyou wouldn't move him, and he rolled up into a ball fast asleep. Kirara walked over and curled up into a similar ball at Inuyasha's feet. Inuyasha looked around himself shocked. 

_'Before Kagome came, I never would have had someone care for me like this. Before Kagome came, I couldn't truly trust anyone. But now it's almost like I have_

_ a…a family again.'_

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      

            Sango and Miroku had stopped by some random trees far from camp. The monk sat himself against a tree, and Sango mimicked him a few feet away. "What do you want houshi?"

            Miroku smirked, "I want a lot of things. One would be-"

            "Stop right there. That's not what I meant. I meant, why did you bring me out here?"

            "Sango, Inuyasha was extremely worried about Kagome. When he found her unconscious and close to death in Sesshoumaru's arms, he freaked out. He has gone through so much, and he can't afford to lose someone else he cares for. Kagome dying would push him over the edge."

            "I know that."

            "He knows that too. Do you really think it would be a good idea to tell him that Kagome was willing to risk her life on purpose for a little girl she didn't even know?"

            "But you said she probably didn't attack on purpose."

            "She knew what she was doing. I can assure you of that. It sounds just like Kagome to attack, even if she knew she might be killing herself, to save a child. She is such a good person, and she values other lives over her own."

            "You're right."

            "Kagome needs to tell Inuyasha herself. Inuyasha is scared, and he changes that to anger at her for almost dying on him. It would only anger him more to know she would have died to save a child without even thinking about how he would be affected."

"You really understand Kagome don't you?"

"I understand unrequited love just like her." And the monk left.

Sango was stunned by that statement, but didn't even want to get her hopes up about the meaning behind it. She followed Miroku back to their camp.

When the two returned they found Inuyasha lying against a tree trunk with his eyes closed. Kagome was in his lap, Shippou on Kagome's stomach, and Kirara at his feet. He opened his eyes at the sound of their footsteps and scowled. "Get them off me. I am NOT a pillow."

"Why didn't you remove them earlier?" Miroku smirked.

"Feh."

Night was approaching fast. The sky was darkening rapidly and the sun soon vanished entirely under the horizon. Kagome had been placed in her sleeping bag. Shippou was curled up next to her, and Kirara was curled up next to Sango, who slept a few feet away. Miroku was on the other side propped up against a tree. Inuyasha was, as usual, up in the branches above Kagome keeping watch. His gaze rested on her beautiful face. 

His eyes wandered downward to rest upon the exposed flesh where his haori had slightly fallen off of her chest. He would have turned away, but seeing all of the bandages littering her creamy skin glued his eyes to her. 

Inuyasha couldn't stand to see her wounded any longer. Guilt swept through him, and he leapt off of his perch onto the ground. He pulled his haori tighter around Kagome, and walked over to Kirara. He nudged the fire cat with his foot. Kirara stirred and opened her eyes to give Inuyasha a questioning gaze.

"I'm leaving for a little bit. I'll be back in the morning. Keep a lookout okay? I won't be far."

Kirara nodded her understanding and closed her eyes again. Inuyasha ran off into the woods. He needed to get away. He needed to clear his head. The best way to do that was to run.

He ran extremely fast through the forest. He didn't stop or take a break. He just ran.

'It's my fault she is like this. It's my fault that she is wounded. I am a horrible protector. I never should have let her go off by herself! She is never getting out of my sight again unless I know she is safe.'  Inuyasha knew Kirara was keeping watch, and he knew his friends would be okay as long as another demon was there to protect them. But he still never went beyond shouting distance in case his help was needed.

Back at camp, the sleeping companions didn't notice Kagome's sudden movement. The young miko's mind was filled with a terrible nightmare. 

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Please review! 

Love ya lots

Vold


	19. Early Awakening

A/N- Hey all you fan fiction readers! So sorry this update took so long, and I don't want to bore you with excuses so I'll just skip right to the important stuff. This chapter is dedicated to Iram for their helpful insight in their review. It was just the boost I needed to get this chapter out. Oh, and Lilserenity, I am definitely a girl. Happy Reading Everyone!

Disclaimer- Nope, Rumiko owns all these great characters. Oh, I own the kotsonu.

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 19

Early Awakening

            Kagome's mind was filled with a calming blackness. She was warm and comfortable but felt weak. Suddenly, her state of peacefulness was interrupted. 

"Hello dear miko."

Kagome looked around her. She was surrounded by white mist. She couldn't make out anything. "Where am I?"

"In a dream state. You are not conscious. Your body is sleeping and regaining strength as we speak."

"Who are you?" Kagome could not tell where the voice was coming from. But she vaguely recognized it.

"It doesn't matter. I know who _you_ are, and I am also aware of your newly acquired power. If I am not mistaken, it is immensely powerful if used as an attack. Is it not some sort of build up of energy?"

"I've heard your voice before."

"Would you like to join me? Your power would be an asset to my reaching the ultimate goal."

"And that would be?"

"What everybody truly wants; complete power."

"Naraku!"

"Congratulations. You aren't as clueless as I thought you were."

"Leave me alone! Get out of my head!"

"Let me show you what will happen if you do not join me…."

Kagome found herself in a beautiful field. The sky was gloomy and a cool wind blew her hair. Suddenly she saw Inuyasha appear at the edge of the field.

"Inuyasha!"

But he ignored her. He began walking away from her. 

"Inuyasha! Wait!" She ran after the hanyou. At the edge of the field she found herself at the top of a hill looking down at Inuyasha. He was embracing and kissing Kikyo. "No." Kagome murmured to herself. She didn't believe what she saw in front of her. Inuyasha backed away slightly from Kikyo. He turned towards Kagome with a smirk. 

"Kikyo can find the rest of the shards. You're worthless. Go home." Inuyasha lifted up the almost complete Shikon jewel. He handed it to Kikyo.

"B-but, I thought you wanted me by your side."

"I lied wench."

_'You're worthless…worthless…worthless.' _The harsh words echoed in Kagome's mind. He had voiced one of her biggest fears. She felt betrayed, hurt, angry, vengeful, and other emotions that exposed how deeply she was truly affected by two little words. Kagome felt power surge through her. She looked down to find her hands glowing black. 

_'Black?'_

Without even realizing what she was doing, Kagome placed her hands in front of her and formed a dark, menacing sphere of energy. She shot the ball at the couple in front of her and watched as they were both destroyed. 

            Kagome screamed.

With a start, she found herself back in the white mist.

"He will betray you in the end. And you will kill him." Naraku's voice echoed through the mist.

"No! That isn't what will happen."

"If you join me, you will not have to feel the pain of betrayal. You will not kill Inuyasha with your own hatred."

"That emotion was hate?"

"Correct."

"But I could never hate Inuyasha."

"If you continue to follow him around he will betray you in the end. You will kill him and Kikyo with your hatred and you will have nothing left. Join me, and I will give you everything. In return, I want access to your power."

"I don't believe you."

"You will. Oh yes my little miko, you _will _be mine."

"Get out of my mind!"

Kagome bolted upright wide-awake. She took in her surroundings and found herself rolled into her sleeping bag. It was nearly dawn and the sun was slowly creeping its way from the horizon. Shippou was sprawled out next to her fast asleep. She lifted the slumbering kit and placed him on her sleeping bag. She turned from Shippou and almost shrieked when she saw two purple eyes boring into hers. 

"Miroku, don't scare me like that." Kagome scolded the monk while taking deep breaths to clam her racing heart. 

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I just woke up and you were in some sort of sleeping fit. You were sweating and mumbling. But besides that, you attacked the kotsonu no more than twelve hours ago. By all of our guesses, you shouldn't be awake yet. Don't tell me you have already regained your energy." Miroku took in Kagome's pale face, ragged breathing, and trembling hands. "I'll take that as a no. So what happened?"

"Nothing!" Kagome didn't want to talk about this.

"My guess is you forced yourself awake."

"Why is it you seem to know everything?" Kagome grumbled. "I was having a nightmare."

"About?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It had you pretty worked up, and it was obviously enough to force yourself awake before you were ready."

"Thank you Mr. Observant." Kagome mocked. She was hoping to ignore the entire dream and forget about it. She wasn't even sure if Naraku had actually been in her mind, and if he was, then he couldn't have been telling the truth. 

"Well?" The monk pressured.__

_'If I tell them about Naraku then they'll just freak out. I don't even know if it was true. And…and I don't want them to know about my fear of Inuyasha betraying me. I trust him, but there is always a shadow of doubt when it comes to Kikyo. And what if they become afraid of me if they think I'll attack them? No, that wouldn't happen. I would never harm any of them. And I won't join Naraku.' _Kagome was caught up in her thoughts. A certain monk snapped her back into reality.

"Hello? Kagome?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry Miroku. I zoned out there."

"I noticed."

Kagome suddenly was flooded with memories. "The kotsonu! What happened? Is Rin all right? Hey, I'm alive!"

Her last statement took Miroku aback. _"'I'm alive?' Did she think she was going to die?" _The monk pondered. "Kagome?"

"What?" Kagome didn't like the suspicious look in Miroku's eyes.

"Did you purposely perform the attack even though you knew you were wounded?"

"Yeah, so what. I'm alive aren't I?"

"We figured you knew what you were doing. But Kagome, you were the closest to death you have ever been."

That hit Kagome like a ton of bricks. "Oops."

Miroku gave her an incredulous look and embraced her in a tight hug. Kagome's breath caught in her throat in surprise, but she patted his back and whispered, "Hey what's up Miroku?"

He backed away and scolded her. "'Oops?' Is that all you can say? You overestimated your own strength! You could have died!"

"Well I'm alive! I couldn't very well let that girl die!"

"What would we have done without you?"

"Get Kikyo to help! Inuyasha would _love _that!" Kagome blurted without even thinking.

Miroku was shocked. She never mentioned Kikyo if she could avoid it. Then some of the pieces clicked together in his mind. "Does this little outburst have to do with your dream?"

"Shut up." 

"I think you should go back to sleep." 

"No!"

"Stand up then."

Kagome looked at him confused. She tried to stand but found it was difficult just to move her legs. "What's your point?"

"You body hasn't regained its energy. You are extremely weak Kagome."         

"Where's Inuyasha?"

"He left a while ago."

"Where?"

"He just went off into the forest."

Kagome frowned, and then tried to stand again. She sighed dejectedly and gave up, sitting down. "So what exactly happened? How did you find me? Why was that little girl with Jaken?"

Sango began to move about in her sleep signifying her wakening. Miroku smiled, "I think Sango can tell you all of the answers you need. I for one can get breakfast ready, and you two can go to the hot springs."

"You always know exactly what to do don't you?"

"Sango dear!" Miroku called in his charming voice.

"What houshi?" Sango mumbled groggily.

"Take Kagome to the hot spring on Kirara. You two can take a morning bath and I will make breakfast." 

  "Kagome? What are you talking about houshi? She probably won't be awake for a couple of days." Sango then opened her eyes. She gasped at seeing Kagome very much awake and smiling at her.

"Kagome! What are you doing? You almost died! Are you okay?" The exterminator was becoming frantic.

"Sango, calm down. Bring Kagome to the hot spring on Kirara." Miroku repeated.

"No spying pervert." Sango warned.

Miroku put on his best shocked-face, "I am a monk! How could you suggest such a thing?"

Kagome began laughing, and Miroku scooped her up to situate her on the now transformed Kirara's back. The two young women were soon gone.

It was barely twenty minutes later when Inuyasha walked into the clearing. And he was very surprised to find the supposedly unconscious Kagome missing.

That's all folks! Expect the next chapter soon!

Please review!

Love,

Vold  


	20. We Need To Talk

A/N- Hello Everyone! Yay! I have 77 reviews! Wow! I love you guys. Oh, this story might get kind of confusing in the next few chapters. I haven't even figured out how I'm going to get all of my ideas to work together yet. So bare with me! Oh, and quick question to all of you. Should I change the rating of this story to PG-13? I know I have kept this story clean. And I want it to stay that way. I just don't know about my language sometimes. If you think I should change the rating, please tell me in a review! Thanks a bunch! Oh, and this chapter is dedicated to Starhawke and Iram who both wrote great reviews!

Disclaimer- Rumiko Takahashi owns all of these fabulous characters! 

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 20

We Need To Talk

            "Where the hell is she!" Inuyasha growled. 

"She left with Sango to the hot spring, Inuyasha." Miroku answered.

"She woke up?! Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Inuyasha, she apparently was awoken by a nightmare. She forced herself awake before her body was ready, and it seems she is too stubborn to go back to sleep."

"A nightmare?"

"She didn't tell me much."

"What did she say?"

"That is not up to me to tell."

"Listen Bouzu, I am in no mood to listen to all of your little evasive comments. Is the wench okay?" Inuyasha was grumpy that morning due to the exhausting night of running through the forest trying not to dwell too much on how guilty he felt about Kagome being injured. And then he returned to check up on her to find her missing! Kirara was with her along with Sango, but _he_ wasn't notified of her leaving. 

He had come up with some new rules for her protection that she would have to follow. Rule one: No going anywhere without telling him. She was a walking time bomb, no telling when she might explode. He would have to have a talk with that girl and tell her just who was in charge.

"I am unaware of who this _wench_ is that you speak of." Miroku calmly       commented. He wasn't planning on giving the hanyou a straight answer until Inuyasha was a little more polite about it. True, Kagome went off without him knowing, but she needed to have a little time just to relax from her nightmare. Inuyasha hovering around would do her no good if her nightmare was after all, as Miroku assumed, _about_ that certain hanyou.

"I'm going to find her."

"Inuyasha, wait!" Miroku called. But the hanyou ignored him, already speeding off towards where the two girls were bathing.

"He's gonna get 'sat' big time for this one." Shippou commented.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "Sesshoumaru found me!?" Kagome tried really hard to keep her jaw from gaping open. Sango nodded. The exterminator had just retold the events of the previous day, and Kagome was still having trouble registering what had happened.

            "So the little girl was fine?" Kagome asked.

            "Yea, you completely demolished that demon."

            "So it worked!" Kagome murmured. 

            "What worked?" Sango questioned. The two girls were both bathing in the wonderfully warm water of the spring. Sango had thankfully remembered Kagome's bath bag, and she was again marveled by the conveniences of Kagome's time as they washed their hair free of dirt and grime with a bubbly lotion that Kagome called 'shampoo'. The two young women were now merely soaking in the water enjoying the feel of being clean.

"Kaede told me how to attack if I needed to. I put my hands together to form a ball of light and threw it at the demon." Kagome didn't mention how much pain it had caused her.

"Miroku and I figured you knew what you were doing. I mean, at first I wondered if it was like the times you had attacked Inuyasha. The power just shot from you without you realizing it. But you were under control this time."

"Yes, I was. I know it wasn't safe for me to attack but--."

"You could have died!" A voice growled from behind Kagome. She whirled around with a scream to see Inuyasha staring angrily at her. 

            Kagome quickly realized she had given Inuyasha quite a show and turned away from him with a very loud 'SIT'!

The hanyou hit the ground. Sango had grabbed two towels from Kagome's bag, and the two girls quickly wrapped themselves up and got out of the hot spring. The exterminator glared at the hanyou as he picked himself off the ground. "Inuyasha, since when have you acted like Miroku!?"

"Shut up. I'm not a pervert like him." Though Inuyasha had trouble keeping the blush from his cheeks.

"What do you want Inuyasha?" Kagome snapped while struggling to her feet. Her legs still felt like jelly when she put too much weight on them. Inuyasha was immediately at her side holding her steady. She grumbled a thank you and quickly grabbed her slightly slipping towel. 

"I came to make sure _you _were okay. Miroku was right, you haven't regained your energy at all."

"I'm fine!" Kagome retorted angrily. She hated all this attention towards how weak she was.

Sango looked on at the two. She was interested to see how this little argument would turn out.

"Listen wench, we need to talk."

"About what?"

Inuyasha looked past Kagome and gave a glare to Sango to give her the hint that this was private. She scowled and made it clear that she wasn't going to leave. With a sigh, the hanyou asked, "Kagome, where's your clothes?" 

Kagome turned with a 'humph' and picked up his red haori that was lying on the ground behind her. She slipped it on and tightened it. "Hope you don't mind that it's wet." She grumbled. 

"Don't care." Inuyasha suddenly grabbed Kagome, swung her over his shoulder, and ran off in the opposite direction of camp.

"Inuyasha!" Both Kagome and Sango shrieked. But the hanyou didn't stop, and Kagome didn't have the strength to make him put her down. Sango knew Inuyasha wouldn't hurt the distressed miko, but that was completely uncalled for. She figured Inuyasha was only going to lecture Kagome anyway. Why couldn't Sango hear that?

With a sigh, the demon exterminator turned to get dressed. But the sound of a twig snapping caught her attention, and she whirled around immediately. "HOUSHI!" She yelled, anger very evident.

Miroku stepped cautiously into the clearing. He nervously laughed and prepared for Sango's wrath.

"What was that about not peeking!?"

Another nervous laugh escaped the monk. A boomerang met his skull a few moments later. 

*                      *                      *                      *                      *          

"Master, did it work?"

"Yes. I was able to contact the little miko when she was asleep."

"Did she believe the dream image that Kanna made?"

"I am not sure. She hasn't accepted her nightmare as reality yet. The dream scared her, that much I am sure of." Naraku held a small sliver of the jewel in front of him and smiled maliciously. 

"I do not understand why you are able to contact her."

"It really isn't any of your concern. But I suppose I can explain it to you. All of the shards are connected. So if I were to focus this shard with energy, it would have some sort of affect on all of the other shards. Because Inuyasha's wench is the jewel's protector, her soul and the jewel of four souls are intertwined. I can contact her through the jewel. 

I can corrupt her to all of my needs. All I need is for her to willingly come to me, and if she accepts whatever I send through the jewel, then she will be under my control. But in the mean time, because I own part of the jewel, I can contact her when she is weak. I can corrupt her pure little heart." Naraku let out a cruel laugh, and Kagura quietly walked away.

Oooh, the plot thickens! Haha! Thanks for reading and please review!

Lots of Love

Vold__


	21. Don't Leave My Side

A/N- Ahhhh! I almost have one hundred reviews! I love you guys! I am so glad you guys like this story. I was nervous because it's my first one. It might get pretty angsty soon. Be prepared for some bumps in the road for our favorite couples relationship. Sorry Tiger of the Wind, I can't give them too much fluff just yet. There were so many great reviewers for the last chapter, so this one is dedicated to Starhawke, Priest, Rachel, and Tiger of the Wind. Thank you to everyone else who reviewed! Enjoy!

Disclaimer- Nope, the fabulous Rumiko Takahashi has ownership over these incredible characters! 

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 21

Don't Leave My Side

Inuyasha soared from treetop to treetop. Kagome's screaming to let her down had quieted, and she now lay limply over his shoulder. Inuyasha stopped on a wide branch and settled Kagome in front of him in a cross-legged position. She was half-asleep and almost tipped off the branch.

"Oi, Kagome? Wake up!" He yelled.

"I'm suddenly really tired." Kagome yawned. She would have fallen off the branch had Inuyasha not had a tight grip on her waist to hold her steady.

"You didn't have enough sleep idiot. You woke up from a nightmare right?"

"Miroku needs to learn to shut up." Kagome briskly answered. Inuyasha decided that she wasn't in any mood to discuss it. 

Once she was situated, he leaned against the trunk of the tree and crossed his arms over his chest. Kagome was scowling at him.

"What?" He asked.

"Well first off. Why do you get the comfortable spot on the branch?"

"If I sat further out on the limb, and you were against the trunk, then if you 'sat' me, I would snap only the part of the branch from where I was sitting when I fell. This way, if you say 'sit' I'll break the whole branch and you'd be coming down with me." Inuyasha answered matter-of-factly, though he knew he would never let her fall.

Kagome glared at him. "Fine. Now why did you interrupt my bath, drag me in the woods, and stick me in a tree?"

"You are gonna tell me exactly what happened yesterday with that kotsonu. No lying!"

"I don't want to." She defiantly snapped.

 "Kagome!" Inuyasha growled threateningly.

"Why is it such a big deal?"

"Would you just tell me what happened?"

"Fine." Kagome dejectedly agreed. There was no getting out of this one. He was going to be mad, she knew he would be. She had basically almost committed suicide. It was irresponsible to not take Kaede's warning seriously. But Rin's innocent face flashed in Kagome's mind, and the miko readied herself for whatever wrath the hanyou could bestow.

She decided to be brief, "Well, the kotsonu carried me to a little clearing. He hit me a couple times and-"

"You make it sound like it's no big deal that the bastard hit you!"

"Shut up and let me finish! Anyway, so the kotsonu said he wanted his magic back. I told him it was stupid because his magic was mixed with my miko power. He pulled out a little bottle and said if I willingly drank the potion, my soul would separate along with the magic, and he could take the half that had the demon energy in it."

"What! Kagome you couldn't possibly be that stupid to think you would be the same person with only half a soul!"

Kagome immediately got defensive. "I'm not stupid! Losing the demon energy would get rid of my power. I hate it! And since when did you mind if someone only had part of a soul and was a complete freak!?" Kagome didn't know where that last bit had come from. Images from her dream flashed in her mind.

"Where the hell did that come from? Why are you involving Kikyo?"

"I…I didn't mean it like that. It's nothing!"

Inuyasha didn't believe her for a minute. "You are so bad at lying."

"Do you want me to tell you the rest?"

"Feh, keep going." Inuyasha pushed the reference to Kikyo in the back of his mind for 'questions to ask Kagome later.'

"I wouldn't drink the potion. I knew if the kotsonu got his power back he would be near invincible. He…he slashed me with his claws a-and said something about… persuading me to do as he says."

Inuyasha noticed her slight falter and realized that it was difficult for Kagome to repeat the incident. But he dismissed it and let her continue. He needed to know why she attacked. He needed her to tell him why she would willingly let herself die. He couldn't let her recklessly attack anything she wanted. 

"This little girl appeared by this stream, and he moved in to attack her. I was in some sort of barrier. I watched as he got closer to the girl and the power just surged through me to protect her." Kagome didn't want to go on. She knew Inuyasha would think she was stupid for risking her life on purpose. She knew he'd be mad. The thought stressed her. She wasn't in any mood to fight with the hanyou. _'Maybe I can lie and tell him I didn't know what I was doing when I attacked.'_

"What happened next?" Inuyasha pushed further. 

Kagome suddenly remembered the feeling of knowing she would probably die, and the pain that practically ripped her apart when she unleashed her power. She didn't want to talk about this, especially not to someone who only wanted to tell her what an idiot she had been. Tears sprang in her eyes. Before she knew it, the pain, exhaustion, and total feeling of insecurity consumed her. 

Inuyasha watched in horror as Kagome's small form shook with sobs. "W-why are you crying?" He asked in a panic.

Kagome's answer was a loud sob. She started to tilt over to one side of the branch and Inuyasha was quick to grab her before she fell. He held her close to him as she clung to his haori. Inuyasha instinctively rubbed her back in small, soothing circles. 

Kagome began to mumble into the fabric, and Inuyasha had trouble understanding her. "Shh, Kagome calm down. I can't understand you when you're mumbling."

Kagome pulled away slightly. "Inuyasha, I won't let anyone die because of me." The determination in her voice surprised the hanyou. He gave her a moment to compose herself before talking. 

"So you attacked the kotsonu."

'_I can't get out of this one. He already knows what happened.' _She realized. So she told the truth,"Yes. I realized I was bleeding pretty heavily, but I risked it. And don't give me any of that lecture about how stupid I was. I know I could've died." She took a deep breath. She had stopped crying, but her emotional instability was driving her into hysterics. 

She continued after a moment. "But I would have rather died taking that demon down with me. If I am going to die, then I will die knowing my life was used to save somebody. No one will die because of me." There was that determined spark in her eyes again.

"Kagome, that little girl wouldn't have been worth your life."

Kagome's anger flared. "She was to me! I don't care if I have never met her. I knew what I was doing. I knew I was weak. I don't care if I was wounded. I _knew _what I was doing!" 

"Kagome, we need you, you can't die on us." Inuyasha calmly stated. It seemed to settle Kagome down a bit. 

"I know."

"From now on, you need to follow the rules. You can't attack when you're wounded. And you need to keep a check on your emotions."

"I'm not an idiot. I know all of this already."

"I've been a bad protector of you so far. So-"

"What do you mean?" Kagome cut him off. He wasn't a bad protector. She had very rarely been seriously hurt, and she knew he blamed himself when she was.

Inuyasha continued as if her interruption had never happened. "So you are not to leave my sight unless I tell you that you can. If you can't keep in control of your power, then I will."

"No! I _can _control my power."

"Well if you are going to attack even when you're too weak, then I am going to stop you. No more running off. Got it?"

Anger flashed in Kagome's eyes. "I told you I don't need a babysitter."

Inuyasha saw the warning signals. "Kagome calm down. You're getting mad."

This only served to make Kagome angrier. "I don't need you to tell me if I'm angry or not!" She yelled.

"Calm down wench!" He gruffly ordered. His sincere and calm attitude disappeared in a flash. He was in charge, and she needed to learn it.

The next few moments were nothing that the miko or hanyou expected. Kagome felt as if her energy was being sucked out of her body. The jewel shard around Kagome's neck flashed blue. The light blinded Inuyasha for a moment and he lost his focus on the world around him. Kagome shrieked and her body lurched backwards on instinct. The young miko lost her balance and was soon toppling to the hard ground below. 

*                      *                      *

I am leaving for vacation this week, but I will give you guys another chapter before I leave because I know this cliffhanger was pretty evil of me. Hee Hee.

Please review!

Lots of Love,

Vold


	22. Sealing Magic

The Colors of Emotions  
Chapter 22  
Sealing Magic  
  
-Previous Scene-  
The next few moments were nothing that the miko or hanyou expected. The jewel shard around Kagome's neck flashed blue. The light blinded Inuyasha for a moment and lost his focus on the world around him. Kagome shrieked and her body lurched backwards on instinct. The young miko lost her balance and was soon toppling to the hard ground below.  
  
----------------------  
  
Inuyasha's senses snapped into gear the moment he heard Kagome scream. With his demon reflexes, he twisted off the branch in a flash and dove after Kagome's falling figure. Because of his heavier weight and god- like speed, he caught her form in mid-air.  
  
He landed gracefully on the ground carrying Kagome bridal style. He was in such a state of shock all he could do was cling to Kagome and assure himself she was there. He flopped onto the ground Indian style and cradled her shaking form in his lap. He was still recovering from what had just happened. 'I said I'd never let her fall.' He again felt that guilt wash over him in a wave. 'I shouldn't have put her out on the limb. I should've let her lean against the trunk. I never even considered that she would fall. I was being so careful; I had my eyes on her the whole time, well, until that light blinded me. What the hell just happened? Why did the jewel shard glow? What if I hadn't gotten to Kagome in time? She would've.would've.' Inuyasha immediately banished that thought from his mind. He wouldn't dwell on it. He had caught her, and she was safe.  
  
Kagome had recovered from the shock of falling some time ago. She took in the support Inuyasha offered and relaxed in his hold. His grip tightened and she realized she was supporting him as much as he was supporting her. She gave him a real scare when she fell. But in his arms, she was once again reassured that he wouldn't let her get hurt.  
  
She let her mind wonder to why she had fallen in the first place. 'I was getting angry. I didn't think it was enough to attack. But I didn't attack. The energy felt as if it were being sucked out of me, like I was being drained. But what would absorb my energy? What could've.' Kagome maneuvered her head against Inuyasha's chest to eye the jewel shard around her neck. It was faintly glowing blue.  
  
'Wait, the jewel absorbed my energy? But that doesn't make sense. How come it never absorbed my energy when I attacked before?' Realization washed over Kagome. 'I didn't have the jewel shard when I first got my power.' Conclusions formed one after another in Kagome's head. 'So the jewel stops my attack by absorbing the energy before it builds up! I won't attack anybody! The jewel will catch me if I become too emotional!' A euphoric feeling of relief filled Kagome. She had a seal. Just like Inuyasha had Tetsusaiga as a seal for his demon blood, she had one for her demon magic. A smile graced Kagome's delicate features.  
  
Inuyasha tucked her even tighter against him. The two sat in silence for some time before Inuyasha found his voice again. He had gotten over the shock enough to ask, "What just happened."  
  
Kagome could've laughed at how relieved she felt. But apparently Inuyasha was not quite so calm yet. She looked up at Inuyasha. He nearly fell backwards when he saw her smiling and as happy as ever when their gazes met. She would just have to assure his pride and her faith in him. "I was clumsy and fell. You, being the amazing guy you are, caught me. Thank you for saving my life yet again Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha was still shocked. How could she be so calm? But he took in her words and smiled. 'An amazing guy? Hold up, what's going on here?' "Why are you so happy all of a sudden?"  
  
"Inuyasha, I think all of my problems are solved!"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Geez, he is so fast!" Sango commented from atop Kirara. Miroku sat behind her with a few bumps on his head from trying to cop a feel. Shippou was sitting in the back. The three rode on the flying fire cat as they flew over the treetops. Kirara knew the general direction in which Inuyasha had gone, and even from high up, she could pick up his scent trail.  
  
It hadn't taken them long to pull themselves together and chase after the angry hanyou and distressed miko. Sango and Miroku both knew that Inuyasha was on the edge of his temper. The hanyou would just have to calm down and let Kagome rest before he pressured her for answers. Kirara knew that they were close and began to drop down to the ground.  
  
After the two humans and small kitsune had gotten off of the fire cat, Kirara returned to her small form and jumped onto Sango's shoulder with a small 'mew'.  
  
"Shippou, can you follow their scents from here?" Sango asked. Kirara was tired, and they could go on foot from here.  
  
"Yep." The kitsune squeaked, and he puffed his chest out with pride, glad that he could help.  
  
"So I guess we head off." Miroku stated as the small group of travelers continued to seek out their friends.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"What the heck are you rambling on about? And what the heck was that with the jewel shard?"  
  
"Inuyasha, you know how you have Tetsusaiga?"  
  
Inuyasha gave Kagome a look that basically said 'you're an idiot.' But Kagome ignored him and rephrased. "No, I mean, Tetsusaiga is like a seal for your demon blood."  
  
"I know. But how is that relevant to why you suddenly became all bouncy?"  
  
Kagome frowned at him. "The jewel shard is a seal for me. It stops me from attacking by absorbing my mixed demon and miko magic when it builds up."  
  
"Have you lost your mind? How do you know that?"  
  
"I was getting angry in the tree and-"  
  
Inuyasha cut her off. "I warned you Kagome! Why didn't you listen?! Was that was the jewel was blue?! It absorbed your anger?!"  
  
"Stop yelling at me!" Kagome flung her body sideways so that one leg went on each side of him. She could face him directly that way. She didn't feel so childish as she did when she was cradled against him, and she steadied herself by grasping his waist.  
  
"I'm not yelling! I am trying to get my point across. You almost attacked! What if you had died this time, huh? You haven't restored your energy and you won't listen to me! " The hanyou continued.  
  
"But if I'm right, then I won't attack anymore! You won't have to keep an eye on me and make sure I'm following the 'rules'!"  
  
"Well you aren't sure! And if you're so safe, how come you just fell out of a damn tree?!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Shippou didn't have to track anymore because Inuyasha's and Kagome's voices were loud enough that even Sango and Miroku could hear.  
  
"What are they yelling about?" Sango asked annoyed. "Inuyasha has Kagome really worked up."  
  
"We're almost there. I just hope they aren't too mad." Miroku pushed aside a few branches and gawked at the sight that met him. "Or maybe they aren't mad at all." He finished. Sango, Kirara, and Shippou followed him, and they all stopped abruptly. Sango took in the sight, blushed, and covered Shippou's eyes.  
  
Inuyasha was sitting on the ground with Kagome straddling him. Kagome's arms were on Inuyasha's waist, and Inuyasha's were wrapped around Kagome. Their faces were inches away, and Kagome was barley clothed in Inuyasha's haori. It had fallen slightly open at the top and just enough skin shown to keep Miroku's interest.  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha looked up at their friends with questioning gazes. They didn't understand their weird behavior. Then it clicked. Inuyasha and Kagome sprang from each other in a flash with heated blushes on their cheeks. The same thoughts ran through their heads, 'they thought that.they thought we were.that.how did we get like that anyway?'  
  
Inuyasha followed Miroku's gaze and found it rested on Kagome's slightly revealed chest. He growled at the monk, and Miroku took the hint. Kagome looked down and with a squeak tightened the haori.  
  
Trying to save some pride, Inuyasha angrily snapped, "Let's get back to camp. We're gonna head back to Kaede's. Kagome needs to discuss some things with her." He glanced at Kagome who gave him an appreciative nod. Kirara had regained most of her strength, and transformed. Sango climbed on along with Shippou and Miroku. Noticing her friend's hesitancy to go on Inuyasha's back, the demon exterminator offered, "Kagome, how about you ride with me. Miroku, you can walk back with Inuyasha." She forcefully pushed him off, and Miroku landed on the ground face first. Shippou, who had been on the monk's shoulder, rolled onto the ground.  
  
Kagome smiled at Sango. She felt a little awkward and embarrassed to get too close to Inuyasha right now. Sango grasped Kagome hand and helped the younger girl onto Kirara's back. Kagome had lost most of her regained energy to the jewel and yelling at Inuyasha, so she acknowledged that she needed to rest. A ride on Kirara would calm her nerves a bit.  
  
Miroku and Shippou were grumbling as they started walking into the woods. Inuyasha followed at a much slower pace. As Kirara leaped into the air, he noticed a slight nervousness on Kagome's face. Falling out of a tree seemed to make her a little unsure of heights. Inuyasha watched until he could no longer make out Kirara's shape.  
  
He easily caught up to Miroku and Shippou, and they three males continued through the forest.  
  
Miroku broke the silence. "So what exactly happened with you and Lady Kagome?" There was a mischievous glint in the monk's eyes.  
  
"We weren't doing anything that would keep your attention, you pervert." Inuyasha mumbled.  
  
"We heard you fighting. What is wrong with Lady Kagome?"  
  
"She is so difficult, Miroku! She won't listen to me, and she is so damn confusing. One minute she's happy. Then she is pissed. Then she is crying!"  
  
"Ah, it seems you have discovered the mystery that is women."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"I can assure you Inuyasha, that no puzzle or riddle is harder to figure out as a woman is. As a man, you never know what they're feeling or how they will react to something."  
  
"How would you know about women? You grab 'em whenever you get the chance!"  
  
"I am merely showing my.appreciation for the female body."  
  
Shippou decided to jump into the conversation. "A lot of times, Kagome says you don't understand her and won't listen to her. Maybe women just want to be respected and treated kindly. They want you to love their personality, not just their body." Shippou again showed that he had knowledge beyond his years.  
  
Both Miroku and Inuyasha gave Shippou a questioning look. "You're insane Shippou. You're too young to understand anything yet." Miroku stated. (What a great example of men's intelligence. Hee Hee. ^_^ )  
  
The divided groups continued back to camp. 


	23. Dream Changed To A Nightmare

A/N- I'm back from vacation! And I am raring to type. I'm going to warn everyone that I am going to go a little off-plot for a couple of chapters to build up Kagome's character a bit. I am going to bring in her family pretty soon, and I'm going to give more details about Kagome's life in the present. 100 reviews! WOW! I never thought I would get that many! I dedicate this chapter to 'ChasingMaybe' because their review gave me a good laugh!  I think this chapter is my favorite so far. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Disclaimer- Haha, I wish! I have about $2.00. You think that's enough to buy the rights to Inuyasha?

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 23

Dream Changed To A Nightmare

            "Interesting." Naraku murmured.

            "What is Master?" Kagura asked curiously.

            "Kagura, look at this shard." Naraku held a small sliver in front of the wind demoness's pale face. It shone faintly blue, and Kagura cool feel a slight increase in power in the jewel's aura. 

            "Why has it gained power?"

            "Apparently, because our little Kagome is connected to the jewel, her magic flows through it and is absorbed. She is feeding it power."

            "But, is not her magic part demon?"

            A malicious laugh escaped Naraku and echoed in the dark room. "Exactly. She is corrupting the jewel on her own with demon power. This is too perfect. The jewel will become more powerful every time she becomes too emotional. Now all I need is for her to be near me and I will have complete control. As I am a demon, I can connect to the demon energy in the jewel. I can feed her power."

Kagura stood with an indifferent expression on her face, which covered her shock. The girl was unknowingly feeding Naraku power! And to top it all off, Naraku could connect fully to her mind now! 

Naraku continued to talk, "But I am getting ahead of myself. Little Kagome is almost asleep, and I think it's time for another nightmare. And this time, I can actually be in her mind in full form. I _am_ connected to her after all."

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "Kagome? Are you okay?" Shippou asked worriedly from his perch on Kagome's shoulder. Kagome's pace had been getting slower and slower until they were trailing the rest of the group. Her eyelids were drooping, and she had dark circles under her eyes. 

            "Yes, I'm fine Shippou. I'm just a little tired." She proved that with a large yawn. Kagome, Shippou, Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha had been walking for quite a while. Kagome had refused to ride on Inuyasha's back, for she was still a little flustered from the previous events of the day. Kirara was curled up in Sango's arms, exhausted from flying so much earlier that morning. The travelers had stopped once to have lunch, but Kagome had barely touched her food. She didn't feel very well. She definitely needed some time to relax.

            "Eep!" Kagome yelped as she got her foot snagged in some underbrush. She barely caught herself in time, and she paused momentarily to steady herself. Inuyasha had immediately appeared at her side.

            "Kagome, you're practically dead on your feet. Don't be so stubborn. You haven't regained all of your energy. Get on my back and you can sleep the rest of the way." 

            Kagome did as she was told. She realized that if she continued to push herself, she very well could get sick. Inuyasha was being uncharacteristically reasonable, so she stumbled onto his sturdy back, and Shippou hopped over to Miroku's shoulder. 

            They continued walking and Inuyasha easily took the lead with his more powerful strides. He vaguely realized how light Kagome felt, and told himself that as soon as they were at Kaede's he'd make sure she'd have a good meal. He'd noticed how little she had been eating. 

            Kagome was enveloped in the warmth Inuyasha gave off, and the feel of his muscles moving against her soothed her. In no time at all, her breathing had evened out, and she was fast asleep. 

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      

            "Kagome?" A familiar voice called.

            Kagome awoke to find herself in a white mist. She recognized the place from her previous dream and immediately panicked. 

            "Kagome?" The voice called again. Kagome realized that it wasn't Naraku's voice that she was hearing, as she had expected. But it was Inuyasha.

            "Inuyasha!" She yelled. "Where are you?"

            Inuyasha's form appeared through the mist. Kagome leaped up and ran to him. The hanyou enveloped her in a loving embrace. "I'm dreaming right?" Kagome mumbled into his chest.

            "Well, if it's a dream, then let's make it a good one." Inuyasha whispered lovingly. 

            Kagome was shocked as he claimed her lips with his own. But she eventually relaxed and responded to the hanyou. Their kiss became passionate and with more fire. Kagome's lips parted, and Inuyasha wasted no time exploring her mouth with his tongue. Kagome was in a sense of bliss. She was kissing Inuyasha! 

            Inuyasha began to lower her to the ground. He lay atop her with the white mist encircling them. Kagome kept her eyes closed and just enjoyed the feather-like kisses Inuyasha was placing along her face. He kissed her earlobe, and Kagome knew he was going to whisper something in her ear when she could feel his hot breath against her flushed skin. She awaited for the endearing words. 

            "Changing my form to Inuyasha's is an easy task my silly Kagome." Inuyasha whispered. But wait, that wasn't Inuyasha's voice suddenly! Kagome's eyes flew open to see Naraku smiling ruefully down at her. He wasn't wearing his baboon skin, and he was in the form of the warlord's son he had stolen the body of. His dark hair fell over his shoulders, and his eyes were gazing at her in sadistic amusement.

            Kagome screamed in horror and desperately tried to push him off of her. But he wouldn't budge and only grabbed her arms to pull above her head. Kagome angrily spit at him, and Naraku's smile only faltered slightly. 

He again bent down and whispered in Kagome's ear, "I like your fire, Kagome. You will be mine soon." And he bent down to kiss her aggressively. He bit her bottom lip when she tried to pull away. It was enough to draw blood, and Kagome could taste the coppery substance in her mouth. 

And then Naraku disappeared.

 Kagome lay gasping for breath and watched as the mist swirled above her. 

_'Wake up, Kagome!' _Her mind yelled at her. _'WAKE UP!'_

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      

Kagome's eyes flashed open, and she immediately sat up. With deep breaths she calmed her racing heart. She took in her surroundings, and recognized Kaede's hut instantly. Looking around her, she saw Miroku leaned against a wall snoring lightly, Sango asleep on the ground with Kirara curled up against her, and Shippou lying on Kagome's legs. Inuyasha was nowhere to be found.

With a deep sigh, Kagome fell back against her pillow. _'Why did I have another dream with Naraku? I must have a really active imagination or something. They are just dreams, they're not real.' _Kagome assured herself. 

But a familiar coppery taste suddenly made itself known on Kagome's taste buds. In horror, she reached up and touched her bottom lip. When she pulled her hand away, blood stained her fingertips. _'Or maybe they are.'_

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Ooh, what's that all about! Haha, sorry, another bad cliffhanger. I'll update soon, I promise! Please review!

            Lots of Love,

            Vold


	24. A Connection

A/N- Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait. I know I left you had a bad cliff hanger…AHHHH! *dodges sharp pointy objects being hurled in my direction*

Well, as I've said before, the plot is going to be slowing down a bit. I need to build a little more characterization, so don't expect too much action at the moment. I dedicate this chapter to everyone who reviewed! I got the most reviews I have ever gotten for a chapter last time, so thank you SO much!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer- Hmm, if I owned Inuyasha…..oops, wait this fic is rated PG! Haha, he's all yours Rumiko Takahashi!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 24

A Connection

            Kagome immediately panicked and sprang from her bedding. Shippou was knocked over in the process, but right then, she didn't particularly care. She was too worked up to focus and figure out what to do. _'Why is my lip bleeding?! It was only a dream!'_  She frantically tried to sort out what was going on, while habitually pacing back and forth. But all Kagome got from her panicked musings was a headache, and she plopped back down on the ground with a large 'thud' and emitted a strangled cry.

            Miroku was apparently awoken by the desperate noise, for his violet eyes were now watching Kagome worriedly. She seemed oblivious to his being awake as she had wrapped her hands around her knees, and laid her head on her arms. From the shaking of her shoulders, the monk could guess that she was trying to muffle her crying.

            "Kagome?" Miroku whispered. Kagome's head shot up, and red-rimmed, eyes met his own. She immediately started wiping away her tears on the sleeve of the haori she wore, and put on an incredibly fake smile for the monk. 

            "Good morning Miroku." Kagome cheerfully commented.

            "Quit the act. What's up?"

            "It's nothing. I had another nightmare. It just scared me a bit." Kagome whispered. She seemed incredibly nervous, and it didn't take a genius to know she was lying.

            "You had another nightmare?" Miroku asked.

            Kagome nodded her head. She didn't want to tell anyone that her nightmares were a little bit too realistic for her liking. It wouldn't settle too well that she was having dreams about kissing Naraku either. Kagome shuddered at the reminder, and Miroku gave her a questioning look.

            "Kagome, you have had two upsetting nightmares in a row. What are they about?" Miroku pushed her for more information. She was hiding something. It was obvious.

            "Miroku, I need to talk to Kaede. Do you know where she might be?"

            Miroku saw the obvious change of subject, but realized how desperate Kagome seemed and let her go. "She said something about treating a villager's daughter last night. She might still be there, it's the closest home to the river."

            "Thank you Miroku." Kagome rushed out of the hut leaving a worried Miroku behind. Not knowing what else to do, the monk went back to sleep. 

            It was about ten minutes later when Inuyasha came striding into the hut. He seemed in a generally good mood before realizing that someone was missing…

            "Where the hell is Kagome!?" Inuyasha yelled into Miroku's face. Miroku ignored the hanyou after being rudely awakened by him a few moments before.

            "Inuyasha, what is it now?" A groggy Sango mumbled from where she had just woke up. Kirara was awake too, but Shippou still slept peacefully from where Kagome had tossed him to the floor.

            "I'll tell you what it is. The little wench isn't supposed to leave my sight unless I know where she is going. Now spill it monk before I make it so you can't ever have children!"

            Miroku 's face grew slightly pale at the threat, and he wasn't about to provoke Inuyasha anymore when the hanyou was apparently quite pissed, so he gave in to reason and told, "She went to find Kaede. And she was quite upset when she left, so I wouldn't recommend you chasing after her."

            But Inuyasha was gone before the monk had even finished.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Kagome easily found the hut that Miroku had told her about, and she found Kaede filling a bucket of water by the river. The young miko approached the older woman and set down next to her on the bank.

            "Kaede, may I talk to you?"

            "Of course child. The young girl who was ill no longer has a fever, so I have time to spare until she wakes."

            "Okay. Well, I think I have an answer to my emotion-attacking problem."

            Kaede raised her eyebrows and commented, "Kagome, the others told me of your little escapade with the kotsonu. I do hope you realize now how serious your problem is. I warned you that you cannot attack if you do not have enough energy to sustain it, and--"

            "I know, I know." Kagome interrupted. "But I don't think I will attack anymore. When I had the Shikon shard around my neck, it absorbed my energy before I had even built up enough to attack. It will stop me from attacking." Kagome smiled. She was expecting Kaede to say something along the lines of, 'That's wonderful Kagome' or maybe, 'Now we have nothing to worry about'. 

            But Kaede said something very different. "Kagome, this may be a very bad thing."

            "What do you mean?" The smile slipped from Kagome's features. 

            "You say the jewel absorbs your energy?"

            "Yes."

            "You do realize that you energy is part demon, do you not?"

            Kagome sat in stunned silence for a time. _'How could I have forgotten about that?' _She mentally berated herself.

            Kaede continued, "Kagome, you could be unintentionally corrupting the jewel."

            "But you're not sure. I mean, what if the demon magic isn't affecting the jewel at all?"

            "Listen child, I don't know what kind of affect your attack is having on jewel shard. But I suppose for the time being, it is the better alternative. Your life has more value than the constant purity of the Shikon jewel."

            Kagome smiled. "Thank you Kaede."

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Inuyasha followed after Kagome's scent trail. It was very clear still, and it wasn't long before the hanyou could hear her voice from up ahead. _'Well, she's safe.' _Inuyasha reasoned. But it didn't diminish the anger at her for running off without telling him. 

            The disgruntled hanyou leaped into a nearby tree, and sat on a branch while eavesdropping on the conversation going on below him. He was surprised to hear that Kagome might be corrupting the jewel shard, but Inuyasha figured that it didn't really matter. Naraku had a good chunk of the jewel, and his piece was no doubt smothered in malice.

            Inuyasha heard Kaede say, "Your life has more value than the constant purity of the Shikon jewel." And the hanyou agreed full-heartedly. He knew the burden the jewel was to Kikyo, and Kagome was too innocent to be worrying over the same problems as her previous incarnation.

            Thinking about Kikyo and then comparing her to Kagome made his heart sting. Inuyasha knew he shouldn't compare the two, and he normally didn't. But all this talk about Kagome's purity brought back unwanted memories of Kikyo. Kikyo's heart was bent on protecting the jewel from corruption, no matter whom she hurt in the process. It was ironic that Kagome, her re-incarnation, apparently didn't give a hoot to whether or not the jewel was pure. As long as her shard prevented her from causing anyone harm.

            Inuyasha's musings were interrupted when his attention was snapped back to the conversation going on below him…

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "Umm, Kaede? Can nightmares have a physical affect on a person?"

            "Why do you ask Kagome?"

            "Well…umm…I've been having these…umm…dreams, more like nightmares. I've had two in a row, and they seem really real."

            "Kagome, a nightmare is merely something your own mind came up with. If something hurts you in a dream, it isn't hurting you in reality."

            Kagome visibly relaxed. But Kaede continued, "But, if someone has influence over another's mind, that is an entirely different story. If one is connected to another so strongly that they can put themselves into the other's mind, then physical affects occur. 

As example, let's say Sango was able to put herself into Miroku's mind through a very strong connection between them. Then, if Sango bashed Miroku with her boomerang, then he would have bruises in the morning." Kaede cracked a smile at the thought, but her smile fell at seeing Kagome's horrified expression. "Is there something wrong child? It is near impossible that someone could enter your mind, I am sure your nightmares are merely the after-affects of such a stressful few days for you. You look like a wreck, no offense dear."

Kagome's mind was racing. _'Naraku must be connected to me somehow.' _ "Umm…Kaede? Is there anyway to prevent someone from entering your mind like that if there was a connection?"

Kaede gave Kagome a worried glance. "The only way I suppose would be to get one's mind out of reach of the other. Either that or destroy the connection. Kagome, do you have reason to believe that someone is entering your mind?"

_'I can't tell her. I can't tell anyone. The connection with me and Naraku must be the demon power flowing in the…the jewel. I've started having these dreams when I got the shard back, so that must be it. Everyone will make me remove the jewel to keep him from connecting with me. And then I would be vulnerable to attack them. I might even attack when I'm asleep too! What if I had a dream that made me really angry or something, and I wasn't wearing the jewel?_

_ There is no way I can take off the jewel shard.'_

With her mind set, Kagome smiled and answered Kaede's question, "No. I think you're right, I'm just a little stressed. I think I might go home for a little bit. _'I might be out of reach of Naraku there.'_

"That's a good idea child."

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Kagome had returned to Kaede's hut a short while later, and with a few quick good-byes and a near-empty yellow bag in hand, Kagome set off in the all too familiar path towards the well. She hadn't run across Inuyasha that morning, which was probably a good thing. He wouldn't want her going home anyway.

            Kagome walked into the clearing where the wooden well was located and made her way over to it. When she was barely a few feet away, a strange sense of deja-vu overcame her. The last time she had been in this spot, the kotsonu had attacked her. A chill ran up Kagome's spine, and she made a lunge for the well to escape the frightening memories. 

            She hopped over the well's edge and closed her eyes while waiting for the familiar sensation that meant she was returning to the future.

            But it never came.

            Instead, she had barely fallen a few feet before a hand grabbed the back of the haori she wore, and Kagome was effortlessly lifted from the well. 

            She opened her eyes when she felt her feet hit solid ground, and she was met with golden orbs boring into her own.

            "Where do you think you're going?" Inuyasha casually asked, as if he was merely commenting on the weather. 

            "Home." Kagome defiantly answered. She tried to wriggle out of the grasp he kept of the back of the haori, but he merely tightened his hold. 

            "I don't remember you asking me if you could go back to your time. I also can't recall you asking me if you could prance off by yourself this morning looking for Kaede." 

            Kagome really wasn't in the mood to fight with Inuyasha. So with a tremendous sigh, she answered him. "Listen, I didn't think it was a big deal for me to walk to the river by myself this morning. You weren't there for me to tell anyway. And no offense, but you aren't too fond of letting me go back to my time, so I figured it better not to ask you. I'm sorry, I hadn't realized that you were so serious about making sure I'm okay." 

            Inuyasha looked at her incredulously. She had just apologized, and completely avoided fighting with him. That was just weird.

            "Hey, what's up? You aren't acting normal."

            "I have a lot on my mind."

            Inuyasha remembered overhearing Kagome say that she was stressed, so that probably explained her behavior. 

            "Inuyasha, please let go of me. I want to go home now. I'm only going to stay a couple of days, I promise."

            "Okay." And he let go of the haori.

            Kagome gaped at him. "Okay? You're seriously letting me go?"

            "Yep. But on one condition."

            Kagome stared suspiciously at him. "What's the condition?"

            "You know the rules I made Kagome. So I'm going too." 

            Inuyasha picked up Kagome, and with a cocky grin, he jumped into the well.

Please Review

Lots of Love,

Vold


	25. Returning Home

A/N- Sorry for this chapter being so late! I made it longer than the rest of the chapters to make up for it. I hope you guys like it!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 25

Returning Home

            The hanyou landed with a 'thud' at the bottom of the old, dried up well. He still held a struggling Kagome in his arms, and with one mighty leap, they were out of the well. Inuyasha set Kagome down, and she turned to him with a scowl.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"You're not staying here with me! I have school to go to, I have too much homework that I need to finish, and I cannot have you hovering over me everywhere I go!" Kagome's eyes flashed with anger, but Inuyasha took that as a sign to calm her down.

"You're getting mad Kagome." He calmly stated. 

Kagome already felt a slight twinge from the Shikon jewel. It was beginning to absorb the energy she had from getting angry. So with a sigh, she gave in to the hanyou and calmed herself down. "Fine. But I won't need protection in my time Inuyasha. You don't have to stay."

"What about the Noh Mask?" Inuyasha taunted. It was proof that she wasn't as safe as she wished in the present. 

"Inuyasha, please. I need time to relax. I can't have you following me wherever I go. I need time to myself. It's sweet of you to feel the need to protect me, really it is, but don't you think you're overdoing it?"

Inuyasha turned defensive in a flash. Whenever Kagome got too close to his true feelings he got like this. So the hanyou immediately snapped, "I'm only watching out for my jewel shard." _'Ooh, good one Inuyasha. Way to piss her off. That wasn't even an original excuse.' _He mentally kicked himself.

 Kagome's eyes flashed angrily once again, and the jewel shard glowed a faint blue. Kagome staggered for a moment when she felt the loss of energy. Her eyes met with Inuyasha's, and she took a deep breath. What he just said had really stung. _'After all that has happened in the past week, he still only cares about the jewel shard.'_

"I would've thought, that after all the times you've said that to me Inuyasha, you would have noticed that all that you ever accomplish by saying you only care about the jewel shards upsets me. But you really don't care how I feel do you?" Kagome's voice softened and Inuyasha didn't miss the tear that trickled down her cheek. "But I guess it shows how naïve I still am." And she bolted from the well house. 

The hanyou was stunned at Kagome's parting words. _'How can you honestly believe I don't care Kagome?' _

Inuyasha knew he had to apologize to her. He hadn't meant to upset her, heck, he hadn't even meant to say that he only cared about the jewel shards. It was a natural reflex. He gave a defeated sigh. As much as he hated saying her was sorry, the hurt look on Kagome's face right before she ran out was enough to make him do anything. So he ran after her.

            Rain was pouring down from the skies on this side of the well. But Kagome didn't notice as the hot tears escaped from her eyes, and she ran desperately for her home. She hoped that someone from her family would be there. She didn't want to be alone with Inuyasha right then. She might just fling the Shikon shard away and purposely attack the hanyou in her hysterics. Of course, she knew she was exaggerating. No matter what Inuyasha said to her, she would never purposely hurt him.

            The dripping young woman dashed into her house, not bothering to remove her soaked shoes. "Mom? Jii-chan? Is anyone home?" Kagome heard the door close behind her, and it didn't take a genius to know that it was Inuyasha. She refused to turn around and acknowledge him.

            "Kagome, listen, I'm-" But he didn't get to finish as Mrs. Higurashi suddenly called from the kitchen.

            "Kagome dear? Is that you?" Kagome's mother looked curiously into the hallway. She spotted her daughter immediately, and Kagome wasted no time in launching herself into her mother's welcoming embrace.

            "Mom!" Kagome sobbed into her mother's shirt. Her shoulders were horribly shaking, and Mrs. Higurashi tightly wrapped her arms around her daughter's trembling form. 

            "Shh…Kagome, it will be okay now. Here, come with me and I'll get you something warm to drink. When you calm down, I want you to take a long bath, okay? Does that sound good Sweetie?"

            Kagome nodded against her mother's chest, and she desperately tried to control her sobs while she her mother led her to the kitchen. Inuyasha stood by the door watching to scene in front of him feeling very uncomfortable. He had never seen Kagome completely break down like this. Sure she had cried plenty of times, but never like this. 

            Inuyasha suddenly noticed how weak Kagome looked. She was ghostly pale, and his haori that she wore barely covered the essentials. But now it was soaking wet, and it clung to her body revealing just how thin she was becoming. It hit the hanyou that Kagome had barely eaten a thing for the past few days. 

The unwanted emotion of guilt crept up on him for probably the billionth time that week. Kagome hadn't visited her family for a good three weeks. She was trying to return home before she was attacked by the kotsonu, and after that, everything had happened so fast. _'She must not have wanted to risk hurting her family when she was unable to control her powers.'_ Inuyasha realized. Kagome hadn't been going home, although she missed her family immensely. 

The hanyou was brought out of his thoughts when a warm, comforting hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked up at Mrs. Higurashi who was smiling softly at him. 

"Inuyasha, do you want some tea? You must be cold Honey." 

Inuyasha had grown very fond of Kagome's mother, as she had to the hanyou. She was a very nice woman, and over the years, Inuyasha had learned to trust her. He had missed having a mother, although he'd never admit it. Mrs. Higurashi treated him like a son, and Inuyasha was grateful for how easily she accepted him. 

The hanyou was led into the kitchen, and Mrs. Higurashi gestured for him to sit down. He made himself comfortable on the chair across from a shivering Kagome, who was sipping her tea slowly. Her eyes never looked up at Inuyasha, and she was obviously ignoring him. Mrs. Higurashi noticed how quiet it was when she set a cup of tea in front of the dripping hanyou. Then, she went into 'mom-mode'.

"Alright you two. You both must be chilled to the bone. I think the laundry is done, so let me go fetch you two some nice warm towels to help dry you off." So the older woman left the silent duo.

Inuyasha saw his opening to apologize, having been left alone with Kagome. He didn't admit he was sorry often, so this was going to be difficult.

"Kagome, I didn't mean--" He started. But Kagome's head shot up to fix a glare on the hanyou. It was enough to make him shut up with a defeated sigh.

"Here we are!" Mrs. Higurashi's sing song voice was heard right before she entered the kitchen. Kagome saw her mom enter and snapped her gaze back to her teacup. 

Inuyasha watched as Kagome's mom draped a warm, fuzzy, pink towel around Kagome shoulders. She then continued on her path and did the same to a horrified Inuyasha. The poor hanyou was now wrapped into a fuzzy, pink towel. Talk about loss of dignity. And he couldn't exactly remove it, because that would be rude. And besides, it felt good. It was nice and warm, and Inuyasha relished in the comfort he got from just simply sitting at a table with a steaming cup of tea, and a warm towel. So screw dignity for the moment.

Kagome however couldn't suppress a giggle when she glanced up at Inuyasha to see him all cuddled into the towel. Both Inuyasha and her mom looked up at her with a start, hoping that she was finally coming out of her mood. 

"Kagome, you wanna tell me what happened?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. It felt good to talk about one's problems. And Kagome was obviously very upset.

Kagome's smile vanished and she shook her head. "I'm going to go take a bath now okay Mom?"

"Sure Sweetie."

Kagome stood from her seat, and walked briskly past Inuyasha towards the stairs. But the hanyou was too fast and caught her hand, which made her jerk abruptly around to face him.

Inuyasha had to get this out, "I'm sorry Kagome."

After a moment of awkward silence, Kagome's hand clenched a bit tighter around his, showing that she understood. Inuyasha didn't apologize often, so he must really regret saying what he did. Then she continued on her path to the stairs.

Mrs. Higurashi noticed how the two held hands a little longer than necessary, and she smiled. They really were quite the adorable couple. If she was lucky, she might get grandchildren with those cute little dog ears.

Inuyasha glanced nervously at Kagome's mother, as the silence was very uncomfortable. They only sound was Kagome turning the bathwater on upstairs.

Thankfully, Mrs. Higurashi broke the silence by asking, "How long are you staying Inuyasha dear?"

"As long as Kagome is." Inuyasha stated.

Mrs. Higurashi raised her eyebrow at this. "You usually leave while she is at school and such. Why do you want to stick around?"

Inuyasha fumbled for an excuse, "Well…uh…you see…" But he finally decided to just give a short version of the truth. "Mrs. Higurashi, I am supposed to protect Kagome. I have been doing a pretty lousy job of it recently, and there are some reasons for me to keep an eye on her." There, that sounded good. He didn't spill anything that had happened, as it seemed Kagome hadn't wanted to tell her mother the events of the previous week. But he also explained that he wasn't leaving.

"Inuyasha, I can assure you that Kagome is perfectly safe here. But if you feel that strongly about it, then by all means, you can stay. This is practically your home too. You are always welcome." Mrs. Higurashi smiled at the stunned hanyou in front of her.

"Thank you." Inuyasha commented. It felt very strange for those words to leave his lips, but it was all he could think to do at the moment. Kagome's mother had just told him that he had a home. Inuyasha hadn't had an actual home since his mother died. 

"Souta is going to be home soon. He will be delighted to see you. I would leave Kagome alone for a while if I were you. And since both of you seem to be neglecting telling me what happened, I'm not going to push further for answers. But give her time Inuyasha."

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

Kagome sighed as she lowered herself into the warm water. Her bath was filled to the brim with lavender scented bubbles, and her tense muscles thoroughly enjoyed the welcoming water. It felt amazing to finally have a moment to herself to just relax.

That is what the young woman really needed. She needed to calm down, and think. Everything had been thrown at her, and the full force of what she needed to deal with hadn't really been made clear until she stood in front of Inuyasha in the well house. She had been angered so easily, and if she hadn't had the jewel that close to her, she would have once again attacked Inuyasha. 

But if she continued to keep the jewel close to her, then at night Naraku could enter her mind and cause her physical harm. To Kagome, the choice was obvious. As she had told Inuyasha before, Kagome wouldn't let anyone get hurt because of her.

It had crossed Kagome's mind that she could just remove the jewel at night, since that seemed the only time Naraku was capable of connecting with her. But even then, Kagome didn't like the feeling of knowing the people around her were vulnerable to attack. And that might not even keep Naraku out of her head anyway.

Kagome was hoping that Naraku couldn't reach her, since she was five hundred years away. But it was just a guess.

Kagome knew she had overreacted when Inuyasha had told her, once again, that he only cared for the Shikon shards and not her. It was just, Kagome suddenly found herself faced with a horrible decision, and she needed as much support as she could get. Kagome closed her eyes as the lavender scents lulled her to sleep.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

_"Kagome, you know that Inuyasha doesn't only care for the shards." Miroku told the teary-eyed miko softly. She was sitting in a corner of Kaede's hut, and she and Miroku were apparently the only one's around. _

_"I know Miroku. But, *sniffle* it still hurts to hear it."_

_"You know Inuyasha better than anyone here. He cares about you. How many times has he saved you? And remember when he tried to make you return home when he thought he couldn't protect you?"_

_"I know…… Thanks for the reassurance Miroku."_

_"Anytime my dear." But it wasn't Miroku's voice that answered her this time. Kagome looked up instantly and saw that Miroku was no longer in front of her. But Naraku, in the lord's son's form, was in his place with a cold smirk. "This was quite an endearing little memory dream you were having huh? Too bad I had to end it."_

_Kagome suddenly found herself back in that all to familiar white mist._

_"Naraku? But how did you…?"_

_"Find you? Oh, silly Kagome. I can always find you. I don't exactly know where you are right now though. Smells like lavender." Naraku's voice trailed off until he remembered what he was saying. " I admit, I had some trouble making a connection. But you have filled the Shikon shard with so much lovely demon energy, that it really wasn't 'too' difficult."_

_"So we're connected through the demon energy in the jewel? I was right!"_

_"Yes, but what are you going to do about it? You won't take the Shikon shard off for fear of hurting your little friends. I know you well enough to know that."_

_"You don't know me at all!" Kagome screamed at Naraku. _

_His eyes narrowed. "Kagome, my dear, do not raise you voice to me." Naraku's arm shot out and grabbed Kagome's shoulder. "After all, you don't even know some of things I am capable of." _

_Kagome winced when she felt his grip tighten considerably. "I hate you." Kagome hissed through the pain. _

_Naraku smiled evilly, and his claws pierced into Kagome's flesh. Kagome tried to struggle, but it only served to make his grip even tighter. Naraku bent down and licked off the blood that began to trickle down Kagome's arm. She cringed, and seeing as he was distracted, punched him in the jaw._

_Naraku reeled back, thoroughly surprised at Kagome having the guts to throw a punch. It hadn't really hurt, but it was still enough to bother him. He let go of her shoulder and glared at her._

_"If you can harm me in my mind Naraku, than I can harm you here too. What's stopping me from attacking you?" Kagome threatened, as she removed the jewel from around her neck. "I'm pretty pissed off right now, and I will not hold back."_

_Naraku laughed at her pitiful threat. "Kagome, if you died in your dream, you'd die in real life. Don't tell me you would risk your own life just to attack me. I would live through it anyway. Anger isn't a powerful enough emotion."_

_Kagome just glared at Naraku, while clutching the jewel shard tightly in her hand. He was right. She wouldn't actually have gone through with attacking him. She was bleeding after all, and she might not be as lucky as she was the last time she had attacked. _

_"I am leaving now Kagome. You are about to wake up. I'll see you again soon." And with those parting words, Naraku vanished. _

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

Kagome woke with a start. She clutched her racing heart and took deep breaths. 

This was too much for her. 

Kagome found that she was still clutching the jewel shard in her right hand, and her gaze traveled up her arm following the trickle of blood until she reached her shoulder.

She grimaced at the four small gashes. 

Not knowing what else she could accomplish in the now-cold bath water, Kagome pulled herself out of the tub, and wrapped a towel around her. She opened one of the drawers under the sink, and after some rummaging, she found what she was looking for: antiseptic and a large bandage. The Higurashi home was always stocked full of medical supplies, as Kagome brought plenty to the past with her.

She gingerly wiped the blood away from her shoulder and arm with a damp washcloth, and then continued to pour the stinging antiseptic on the scratches. A large bandage was the final touch to this frequent medical ritual, and with a sigh, Kagome placed all the items back in the drawer, and headed to her room…

After getting dressed, Kagome returned downstairs drying her hair with a towel. Inuyasha was sitting on the couch in the living room tormenting Buyo, and Kagome decided to pointedly ignore him. 

To be fully honest, Kagome no longer was angry at him. She was only avoiding Inuyasha because she felt guilty when she saw him. Kagome was hiding so much from him, and he had asked her to always tell him where she was going and what was going on. He wanted to protect her. 

Kagome knew that, but the only way to protect her from Naraku now was to remove the jewel. And Kagome wouldn't let her powers on the loose again. She had attacked Inuyasha twice, and with her power focused, she had destroyed a very powerful demon. 

It led to one conclusion: She couldn't control her powers, and Kagome admitted that to herself now. She needed that shard near her to catch her before she did serious harm to anyone, including herself.

With a defeated sigh, Kagome sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and began to comb out her hair with a brush she had dragged with her from the bathroom. 

She couldn't keep this up. Her and Naraku were connected, and it seemed as though she couldn't stop it. The only question now was whether or not to tell Inuyasha before her conscious consumed her with guilt. 

Kagome could ignore it for now. But she was sure that Inuyasha would find out sooner or later.

*                      *                      *                      *

Inuyasha gave Kagome a quizzical look when she walked past him to the kitchen. She had smelled faintly of blood, but she didn't seem to be in any pain. So the hanyou continued to torture the poor cat in front of him.

                Souta arrived home and walked into the kitchen to find his sister brushing out her damp hair.

              "Kagome you're home!" Souta yelled happily.

             Kagome looked up at him and smiled. "Inuyasha's in the living room if you want to see him."

             With a large grin, Souta dashed into the living room and lunged himself at the unsuspecting hanyou. The young boy hugged Inuyasha around the middle, and Inuyasha ruffled the boy's hair with a "What's up squirt?"

             "I'm not a squirt anymore!" And this was true. Souta had grown quite a few inches in the past couple of years. He still worshipped Inuyasha though, and he loved hearing the often-exaggerated tales that Inuyasha would tell him about fights in the past. 

*                      *                      *                      *

The day continued very much as any normal day. Kagome called some of her classmates to check up on homework, and found that Jii-chan had merely told everyone that Kagome was on a trip to visit her sick cousin, instead of the old man's usual excuse of her having some strange and exotic illness for her absence. Of course, the entire excuse was fake, but hey, now Kagome wouldn't get so many weird looks from people anymore.

          Speaking of Jii-chan, he arrived home around dinner after spending the day buying who knows what at antique stores. He came home with some weird old furniture and stuff, and most of it he claimed had a history behind it. His ramblings were of course, blatantly ignored.

            Inuyasha spent most of the day playing video games with Souta. Souta then had insisted that Inuyasha take him for a ride around the shrine on his back. The hanyou, not having anything else to do, obliged. He had been leaving Kagome alone like Mrs. Higurashi had advised. 

           Dinner time came and Kagome had rushed happily down the stairs from her room smelling oden. Inuyasha noticed that Kagome stilled smelled faintly of blood, meaning that whatever had made her bleed had cut deeply into the skin. He still ignored it, as Kagome didn't seem to be injured at all.

               Besides a few demon warding charms being discreetly thrown Inuyasha's way by a wary Jii-chan, dinner was uneventful. The phone rang and Mrs. Higurashi stood to answer it.

               "Kagome, it's for you." She called.

               Kagome rose from the table and took the phone from her mother's outstretched hand. "Hello?" She asked into the mouthpiece while she walked towards her room. She didn't like having phone conversations where the whole family could hear.

                "Hi Kagome! It's Hojo! Arumi just called me and said you were back. How's your cousin by the way?"

                  "Umm, fine." Kagome replied while sitting down at her desk chair in her room.

                 "I'm glad. Hey listen, a huge history report was assigned yesterday and I wanted to know if you would like me to bring over the requirement sheet so you could start working on it. It counts for a huge part of our grade, and it would make a good impression if you turned it in on time."

                "Thanks Hojo! That would be great. Just meet me at the bottom of the shrine stairs."

                  "Alright Kagome. I'll be right there." He answered. Kagome hung up and made her way downstairs again. 

                  She walked to the door and slipped on her shoes. "Mom, I'm meeting a friend really quick so they can drop off some homework!" Kagome called. 

                "Alright dear!" Her mom called from the kitchen. Kagome continued to open the door, but she barely made it a step through before someone grabbed her shoulder to turn her around.

                It was her injured shoulder, and Kagome hissed in pain, and knocked the hand away before turning to look at whoever had grabbed her. Inuyasha stood looking worriedly at her shoulder, than he switched his gaze to Kagome's face. "What happened to your shoulder?" He asked.

              Crap, she was caught. Kagome had put a long sleeved shirt on to hide the bandage, but Inuyasha still found out about her injury. She said the first thing that came to her mind, "I hit a wall." _'Oh, brilliant answer you idiot!' _Kagome mentally groaned. She was now adding something else to her list of things she was hiding from Inuyasha.

               "Nice try Kagome. I smelled blood, hitting a wall wouldn't make your shoulder bleed." Inuyasha countered. Kagome stayed quiet. Inuyasha continued, "Where are you going?"

               "I'm meeting a friend at the bottom of the shrine steps. I'll be right back." Kagome responded exasperated.

                "I'm coming with you." Inuyasha stated as he followed Kagome out the door.

                Not wanting to fight with him, Kagome just continued on her path down the steps that led from her shrine to the sidewalk below. It was a little past seven, and not many cars were out on the road. "Just don't let him see you. You don't--"

                But Inuyasha cut her off when he turned her around abruptly by grabbing her non-injured shoulder. "_Him?"_

              "Yes Inuyasha, my friend is a boy. Now stop being so over-protective and let go of me."

              Inuyasha did remove his grasp on her shoulder, but he now was more on guard while he followed Kagome as she hopped down the last few steps. The two waited in silence under a streetlight until footsteps could be heard coming along the sidewalk. 

              Kagome shoved Inuyasha none too gently behind a nearby bush, so the hanyou did as he was told, not wanting to upset her further. But he watched like a hawk as some weakling human boy came strolling towards Kagome with a sheet of paper in one hand, and a wrapped up gift in another.

              Hojo stopped in front of Kagome with a smile. "Hey Higurashi." He greeted her, and Kagome smiled at him in return, making Inuyasha extremely angry. _'She shouldn't be smiling for that wimp!'_ He angrily thought.

               "Here's the requirement sheet, and I wanted to give you this. It'll help you relax if you get too stressed out with all the homework you have to make up" Hojo blushed slightly as he handed Kagome the paper and wrapped bundle.

               Kagome mentally groaned at whatever strange thing Hojo could have come up with as a gift this time, but she was happily surprised to find a small bag of lavender scented bath beads. "Thank you Hojo! I love lavender." She smiled warmly at him, while she faintly heard a low growl from the bush nearby. Kagome took that as warning that she had better leave, so she told Hojo that she was cold and bade him goodbye. She needed to get out of there before Hojo asked her on a date for the millionth time, and she would have to reject him.

              "See ya Higurashi!" Houjo called. Kagome gave him a final wave before sprinting back up the stairs, knowing Inuyasha wouldn't be far behind.

               Sorry that the plot didn't move much in this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, and please review!

Love ya lots

Vold!!!!!!!!!!!!!

              
 


	26. Can't Hide the Truth

A/N- Thanks for all the reviews guys. I know I'm putting off Inuyasha finding out the truth for as long as I can. But you won't have to wait much longer. Hee Hee. I am starting to gradually make my chapters longer, so it takes more time to post them, but I'm trying!

Disclaimer- Apparently, Rumiko Takahashi won't sell her rights to Inuyasha for 25 cents, which is about as much as I have at the moment! ^_^

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 26

Can't Hide the Truth

            Inuyasha groggily woke up the following morning, and it took him quite a while before readjusting his fatigued mind to where he was. The hanyou was sprawled out comfortably on a spare futon that had been placed, by Mrs. Higurashi, in Souta's room. She had insisted that he stay in the house to sleep, instead of the Goshimboku that he usually resided in for the night during his stays in Kagome's time. 

            He had to admit, the mattress that he was currently lying on was much more relaxing than the trunk of the old tree, but Inuyasha was still surprised that he had slept so deeply. He rarely, if ever, got more than a couple hours or so of sleep when in his time, as it was never completely safe there, and someone needed to keep watch. As a hanyou, he didn't require as much sleep as a human. The past few days must have also taken their toll on Inuyasha as well as Kagome. He was exhausted, and after beating himself up on the inside with guilt and paranoia for quite some time, Inuyasha took advantage of the well-needed sleep. 

            But something had alerted his senses and woken him up.

            Inuyasha reluctantly tore himself for the clutches that sleep still held on him, and he focused on an unfamiliar smell that was emitting from downstairs. It wasn't a bad scent, on the contrary, it was very soothing. But it was still unfamiliar. 

            He stood up and took a quick peep out the window, and saw that the sun had barely started to rise, so it was still fairly early. Souta's clock shown 5:00 a.m. in bright green numbers. Curiously, the hanyou continued his descent downstairs to check things out.

            The smell originated from the kitchen, and Inuyasha could faintly pick up Kagome's scent under the aroma. Less cautious now, he entered the kitchen to spot Kagome sitting at the table hunched over a book, with a pencil scribbling furiously on a notebook in one hand, and a mug in the other.

            "Kagome?" 

            She turned her head to face him in slight surprise, and Inuyasha noticed that she didn't look too good. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and dark circles were under her eyes that stood out against her paler than usual skin. 

            Seeing as Kagome wasn't really acknowledging him, he decided to just keep talking. "What are you doing up?"

            "I couldn't sleep." A croaky voice answered.

            "When did you wake up? I would've heard you come downstairs."

Kagome gave a light humorless laugh and answered, "I haven't gone to sleep yet. I've been awake all night working on my history report."

Inuyasha was a bit stunned. _'She looked exhausted last night. Out of anyone, Kagome should be the one getting the most sleep.' Not being much of a conversation starter, Inuyasha just asked the first thing on his mind. "What's that smell?"_

            The young woman looked curiously at him before realizing what he was talking about. "It's coffee Inuyasha." She gestured towards the mug in her hands. "It helps me wake up, so I'll be able to get through the day."

            "But I thought you said you couldn't sleep. Why would you need something to keep you awake?" Inuyasha was suddenly being very perceptive, and Kagome realized he might be catching on to her sooner than she'd hoped.

 "I dunno." She lamely answered,

            Kagome had forced herself to not go to sleep, as she hadn't thought of a way to deal with Naraku yet. She knew it was probably a bad idea to not go to sleep, and she was exhausted. But after her latest nightmare, she'd been a bit frightened on returning to that unnerving white mist in her mind. _'Naraku said that I couldn't kill him in my mind. So all I can do is just deal with each nightmare one at a time and hope he doesn't decide to dispose of me in the process. He said he wanted me to join him. He wanted my power. He wanted me_.' _That last part still disgusted and creeped out Kagome. She cringed at the memory, and Inuyasha noticed._

            "What are you thinking about?"

            "Huh?" Kagome snapped back to reality in an instant. "Oh, nothing."

"You've been by yourself for a while down here, you had to have thought about something." Inuyasha pressed further and further for answers. Something was wrong. Kagome looked like she could drop off to sleep at any moment, and she never forced herself awake before. She was hiding something.

            "Inuyasha, drop it. I need to finish my history report, so if you don't mind, please leave." Kagome snapped at the surprised hanyou. She had been up all night, so naturally she wasn't in any mood to be patient. And all of his questions were starting to unnerve her.

            But Inuyasha wasn't in any mood to listen to Kagome lie to him anymore. So he surprised Kagome in return with his reaction.

            The hanyou stormed over to the kitchen table and plopped into the seat directly across from Kagome. With a swipe of his arm, he knocked the textbook and notebook flying off the table to land with a loud 'thud' on the ground. He set a piercing gold glare on a stunned Kagome, and with an irritated voice, Inuyasha stated, "I do mind Kagome. I'm not leaving until you tell me what is _really going on."_

            "I-I don't know what you mean."

            "Why are you forcing yourself awake? What happened to your shoulder? Why were you asking Kaede about your nightmares--"

            Kagome cut him off with furious eyes, "How did you know I was asking Kaede about my nightmares?"

            Inuyasha's mind fumbled for an excuse, but he decided to not even try to get out of this one. "I was eaves-dropping."

            "You jerk!" Kagome hissed. "That is none of your business, I can deal with this on my own."

            That caught Inuyasha a bit off-guard. "Deal with what on your own?"

            Kagome mentally cursed herself at the slip, but blew it off with an, "It's nothing."

            "It isn't nothing. Are you forcing yourself awake to avoid having nightmares?"

            _'Since when can he draw conclusions like that?' "Um, yeah." Kagome reluctantly admitted. She hadn't told him the truth about her 'nightmares' knowing that he would freak out and do something drastic like forbid her from carrying the jewel. And __that couldn't happen._

            "Kagome, they're just nightmares." 

            _'If you only knew.' "I know. I'm just being childish." Kagome forced a fake smile on, but it didn't reach her eyes. _

            _'Inuyasha is definitely catching on. I have to be careful. All I need is a little bit more time to try to think of a way out of this mess. I need to break the connection with Naraku, but still keep the jewel on. I don't think I could block the demon energy of mine from being absorbed by the jewel, and even if I tried, he would probably still be able to contact me.'_

Kagome was putting on a good act. She really was. But during her musings, her fingers twiddled unconsciously with the Shikon shard around her neck, catching the alert Inuyasha's attention. 

            _'Wait a minute. These nightmares of Kagome's didn't start until…until the night she got the shard back.' Peeked with a new curiosity, the hanyou was about to ask Kagome the one question that might have made all the answers come out._

            "Kagome? Does the Shikon shard have anything to do with--" 

            "What's going on down here?" Mrs. Higurashi interrupted as she strode into the kitchen.

Inuyasha and Kagome turned guilty expressions to the scowling woman. Neither had realized how loud they must have been being.

Kagome was quick to recover from her surprise and briskly covered, "I couldn't sleep mom. I woke up about an hour ago, made coffee, and started working on my history homework."

Inuyasha's surprised eyes turned to Kagome. She was lying to her mother! Kagome hardly ever lied to her mom. Now the hanyou was positive that Kagome was covering something up. 

Mrs. Higurashi turned to Inuyasha waiting for his explanation, so he quickly obliged. "I smelled something weird. It woke me up and I came downstairs to check it out."

"He smelled the coffee mom." Kagome filled in.

Kagome's mother decided now was not the time to give the two a lecture, and instead sat down at the table along with them, and grabbed herself a cup of coffee in the process. "Well, since your both up, there is time for me to make a nice breakfast before you go to school Kagome. You hardly ever have breakfast because you're always rushing around when you're here. You can pick honey. I'll make whatever you want."

Inuyasha saw an excited spark behind Kagome's eyes, and a childish smile crept onto her face. He'd missed her smile. Kagome had been very quiet and slightly depressed for quite a few days. Inuyasha was fascinated how the prospect of picking what was for breakfast was all it took to put a smile back on Kagome's face.

"Chocolate chip pancakes!" Kagome practically squealed. Mrs. Higurashi laughed at her daughter's enthusiastic response, and she stood to begin making the batter.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Inuyasha, interested, watched as Mrs. Higurashi set a plate of round doughy disks in front of him and Kagome. Brown spots were scattered here and there in the golden colored circles, and Inuyasha had to admit, though they looked weird, their aroma made his mouth water.

            Kagome stuck her fork into the biggest one and set it on her plate with a large smile stretched across her face. Inuyasha followed suit and placed one of the pancakes on the plate that sat in front of him. He mimicked the young woman as she cut a piece with her knife, and brought it into her mouth. 

            When Inuyasha took the first bite, his eyes lit up as excitedly as Kagome's, and he soon devoured the entire pancake in front her him. Kagome finished hers the same time as him, and the two eagerly stabbed the next biggest pancake on the plate in the center of table. They had gone after the same one, and the pancake was torn in half in the slight battle of ownership over it that followed.

            Inuyasha simply snatched the closest pancake to him, put it on his plate, and that one had the same fate as the previous pancake that the hanyou had eaten. 

            It wasn't long before Souta came downstairs after being awoken by the smell of chocolate. He joined the fray with Kagome and Inuyasha in eating the pancakes. Jii-chan usually slept late, so he still wasn't awake when Mrs. Higurashi announced it was time to start getting ready for school.

            The pancakes were now non-existent, so Kagome dragged herself up to her room. She slipped on clean uniform, ran a brush through her hair, and padded down the stairs. Souta was right behind her, and it was in no time at all that the two were strolling towards the front door with book bags slung around their backs, and frowns on their faces. School didn't start for about half an hour since it was about 6:50, but Kagome wanted to get there early so she could gather whatever work the teachers had for her, and also receive a quick overview of what she had missed in her three weeks absence. 

            The young woman would have been on her way, had a figure clad in red not stepped in her path, succeeding in blocking her way. "I gotta go Inuyasha. You can hang around here or return through the well. I'll be home at about three." She didn't even make eye contact with him.

            "Kagome?"

            She looked up to meet his gaze at his tone of voice. He said her name in a very patronizing way, which made her feel childish whenever he used it.

            "I could have sworn I told you that you're not leaving my sight." He cockily commented.

            "Is this all a game to you?" Kagome hissed. Her anger towards him from earlier that morning had returned full force, and she shoved the hanyou trying to remove him from her path.

            He didn't budge. Instead, Inuyasha gruffly stated, "I'm coming with you. I'll stay outside and everything, but walking to and from your 'skool', you're stuck with me."

            "Perfect, just perfect." Kagome mumbled sarcastically. She could live with him if he didn't follow her into the school, at least he was being somewhat reasonable.

            Inuyasha allowed Kagome to pass, and he grabbed the baseball cap by the door to cover his ears. It had been provided for him by Kagome's mom for his visits in the present time.

            "One more thing." Inuyasha murmured as he strode from his spot behind Kagome to walk beside her. "Our conversation from this morning _is not _over." He forcefully assured.

            "Yeah, sure." Kagome mumbled as the two walked slowly towards her school, while Souta ran ahead to meet some friends at the end of the street.

            "You want a ride?" Inuyasha asked.

            "No." Kagome bluntly answered. She didn't care if he was trying to be nice. Inuyasha was getting too close to the truth. He had realized this morning that her nightmares were connected to the jewel. And since he had listened in on her conversation about nightmares with Kaede, then he knew about having a mental connection with someone. She didn't know how much more time she had before the suddenly perceptive hanyou figured it all out. Kagome still had no idea how to deal with Naraku yet…

*                      *                      *                      *

            School was boring beyond all belief that day. Kagome was hit full force with the reality of just how much work she needed to catch up on, and she was barely managing to keep herself awake. Her mind would continue wandering during her lessons, and by math, Kagome just gave up on trying to focus on the teacher, and instead on her current situation.

            _'I don't even know what Naraku's  purpose is for even entering my mind. There is no way I will give in to him, but I still have no idea how to keep him out of my head. I can always continue to make idle threats about attacking him, but I don't think I will. I cannot kill Naraku like that even if I could. Miroku, Sango, and especially Inuyasha want to get their revenge on him. I won't take that away from them.' _

            _'Another option is to take off the jewel before I fall asleep. Since I feed the jewel the demon energy, than if I take it off, then the connection will be broken. But that still leaves me vulnerable to attack.' An image entered her mind of Inuyasha's face when the green power had burst forth and lashed at his arm the first time she had accidentally attacked. _'I don't trust myself with the jewel off, even if I _am_ sleeping.'__

_            'So I still haven't gotten anywhere. Just perfect. If I don't come up with a way to block out Naraku, and Inuyasha finds out about it, I'm in big trouble for hiding it from him.' _Kagome shuddered at the thought. 

            "Kagome?" A high-pitched female voice called.

            "Huh?" Kagome snapped her attention to the front of the room where her name had been called.

            "Are you listening? I have called your name three times. I would like you to come up to the board and solve this equation." Kagome's math teacher informed. Kagome mentally groaned as she walked towards the board. 

After a gallant, yet blatantly wrong attempt, the exhausted young woman returned to her seat. The math teacher made a 'tsk tsk' noise, and called on another student to figure out the equation.

*                      *                      *                      *

            "Brrrriiiiinnnnnnggggg!!!!!" The dismissal bell finally rang, and Kagome gave a sigh of relief. School was over for the week. She was thankful that her and Inuyasha had returned on a Thursday, therefore she only had one day of school until the weekend. (A/N- I'm pretty sure that in Japan, there is a half-day of school on Saturday. But for the purposes of this story, we're just gonna say that school is only Mon-Fri)

            Kagome trudged down the hall and retrieved what she needed from her locker. She followed the all-to familiar path towards the school doors, and she exited the building into the warm sunlight. The weather was a horrible contrast to her mood, as Kagome was depressed, tired, and anxious all at once. She hardly thought it possible that she could refuse her exhausted body the sleep it needed for another night. She was practically dead on her feet as it was. _'I might have to face Naraku again tonight.' Kagome shuddered at the thought._

            Distracted by her thoughts, Kagome wasn't looking where she was going, and she ran into a solid figure that had appeared in her path. Kagome looked up exasperated, expecting to see Inuyasha, who she knew must have been waiting outside the school somewhere all day. She was surprised however when she saw the smiling face of none other than Houjo. 

            _'This is not going to be good.' Kagome mentally groaned. She forced a smile on though, and quickly said "Sorry Houjo, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." _

            "It's okay Higurashi. Oh, by the way, are you busy tonight?"

            "Umm…"

"Because I was wondering if you would like to go to the movies with me." Houjo rushed on with almost a pleading note in his voice.

 Kagome's mind fumbled around for a good excuse to get out of the date. But she didn't need to. Someone did for her.

            "She's not going anywhere with _you_." A growling voice snapped from behind her. Kagome whirled around to see Inuyasha glaring daggers at poor Houjo.

            "Who is this Kagome?" Houjo asked expectantly.

            "Umm…he's a friend. A very…umm…protective friend." Kagome stuttered out.

            Houjo turned towards the angry hanyou with a pleasant smile on his face. "Any friend of Kagome's is a friend of mine. My name is Houjo." Houjo bowed slightly to Inuyasha, who in turn stared at the boy as if he had grown another head. "What's your name?" Houjo continued, unphased by the other boy's lack of greeting. 

            "Inuyasha." The hanyou stated gruffly, while grabbing onto Kagome's arm and dragging her away. Houjo stood looking confused as the two took off. One dragging the other.

*                      *                      *                      *

            "Inuyasha, you didn't have to be so rude!" Kagome scolded. Inuyasha sat fuming on the sofa, while Kagome stood in front of him scowling.

            "Feh, I can be whatever I want. He was all over you." He stated arrogantly.

            "He was not! He was asking me out to see a movie! A _movie! _There is no harm in that at all!" 

            Inuyasha stayed silent, so Kagome let out an exasperated sigh and strolled into the kitchen for a snack. Grabbing two cookies, she returned to the living room to sit beside Inuyasha. 

            "Stop pouting. Here," Kagome handed Inuyasha one of the cookies, "Have a cookie." 

            Inuyasha obliged, slightly stunned by her sudden change in attitude.

            Kagome situated herself so she was more comfortable on the sofa, and took a bite from her own cookie. "I suppose I should really be thanking you." She continued after swallowing. "Houjo might get the message that I'm not interested if he thinks I have an over protective friend that would gladly beat the crap out of him." 

            Inuyasha didn't know how to answer, and merely stayed silent, eating his cookie. _'Why is she always so forgiving of people?'  _

            "I'm not in the mood to work on my homework all day, there's too much of it. So what do you want to do tonight?" Kagome asked, changing the subject entirely.

            The hanyou shrugged, but before Kagome could continue, Souta walked in the door with a huge smile on his face. "What are you so happy about?" Kagome addressed the elated boy.

            "I borrowed this great action movie from one of my friends." Souta pulled the said movie from his backpack. "It's filled with monsters and people getting their heads cut off."

            Kagome sighed when she saw the same excited look on Inuyasha's face. The hanyou had already been introduced to the concept of movies and T.V from his previous stays in Kagome's time. And after seeing 'Terminator' with Souta one time, Inuyasha learned the glory of having over two hours of fighting stored into a small video.

            "I guess that solves the problem of what we'll be doing tonight."

*                      *                      *                      *

            Kagome had decided she might as well put a dent in the exceeding amount of schoolwork she had to accomplish. Though, Kagome knew that her and Inuyasha would return to the feudal era in a couple of days, so there was really no point in stressing over having to turn it all in on time. 

            It had never really struck Kagome's mind how little school really mattered any more. Sure, she wanted to get into a good college and be able to get a job, but the prospect of collecting the shards and defeating Naraku had become her first priority in life. 

            _'It's kind of sad how different my life is from my friends in this time. They're all worried about getting good grades, finding boyfriends, and the latest gossip. But, I'm worried whether or not I'll come out of this whole ordeal alive.' On that depressing note, Kagome opened a book, and tried to figure out some math problems before dinner._

*                      *                      *                      *

            "Kagome! Souta! Inuyasha! Dinner!" Mrs. Higurashi called upstairs. The two boys came bounding down, as it seemed that playing video games for almost four hours must work up quite the appetite. Kagome followed a few moments later looking thoroughly exhausted.

            Dinner was a pretty silent affair. Jii-chan was commenting on some news with the shrine to Mrs. Higurashi, and Inuyasha listened half-heartedly as Souta babbled on about anything and everything. Kagome just stayed silent, and she ate her soup at a slow pace. Sleep sounded really good to her just then. 

            Inuyasha noticed Kagome's lethargic manner, and he wouldn't have been surprised if Kagome fell face first into her bowl fast asleep. But the young woman was putting up the best poker face she had, and was pretending nothing was wrong with her.

            He knew better.

            When everyone had finished eating, the dishes were brought to the counter, and Kagome's mother set to work on cleaning up the kitchen. Jii-chan had gone to his room, so Inuyasha, Souta, and Kagome stood to go into the living room to watch the movie. 

            "Kagome!?" Mrs. Higurashi called suddenly. She sounded somewhat frantic. So Kagome hung back in the kitchen as the two boys continued to the living room.

            "What?" Kagome asked.

"Ryoko's wedding is tomorrow! I completely forgot about it, what with you and Inuyasha coming home and such. You really should go. You got the invitation ages ago, and promised that you would be there."

Ryoko was one of Kagome's best friends. She went to the same summer camp as Kagome for years and the two had become very close. Ryoko was a few years older, and was going to college not too far away, pursuing a career in medicine. She had met the man of her dreams there, and Kagome was thrilled for her friend when she got the wedding invitation. 

But right now, Kagome wanted to strangle somebody. "Mom, do I have to go?"

Mrs. Higurashi looked stunned at her daughter's whining, and immediately made her tone firm. "Yes you do. Ryoko is one of your best friends and I just bought you that nice dress to wear for the occasion."

"Fine." Kagome gave in, not wanting to argue with her mother.

*                      *                      *                      *

            It was a little over an hour into the movie, and Kagome was barely keeping herself awake. Souta was right in front of the T.V, eyes glued to the screen. Inuyasha sat beside her on the couch, also intently watching the action on the television.

            Twenty minutes later, Kagome's mind had been wiped clear of any reason not to go to sleep. All she could think about was closing her eyes, and letting her tense nerves and muscles have a break. Sleep was so inviting right then. 

            Inuyasha wasn't all that surprised when Kagome's head fell against his shoulder. She was fast asleep, and the hanyou tried very hard not to move around so he wouldn't wake the girl from her well-needed slumber. 

            When the movie ended, Souta turned off the T.V. as the credits rolled across the screen. He stood, stretched, and looked behind him to see Inuyasha with his eyes closed, and his sister leaning against the hanyou's shoulder. They were both presumably asleep, so Souta quietly made his way upstairs to his bedroom. It was getting late, and there was no reason why the two couldn't sleep on the couch for the night.

*                      *                      *                      *

            _"Perfect." Kagome mumbled, sarcasm dripping in her tone. Here she was, white mist surrounded her, and Naraku would no doubt appear any time._

_            As if on cue, a cold laugh echoed through the strange fog, a man's figure coming nearer to her._

_            The next moment, the figure moved with amazing speed so he was behind Kagome with an arm around her neck, effectively making it difficult for the young woman to breath. She struggled, but his grip only tightened with her efforts._

_            As suddenly as he had gone behind her, Naraku was in front of Kagome with a smirk on his face. _

_ "Naraku." Kagome hissed._

_"So good to see you too." The cold voice mockingly answered, as he forcefully pulled the disgusted girl up to him in a bruising kiss._

*                      *                      *

            A slight movement woke Inuyasha up from his light sleep. Looking down, he realized Kagome must have slipped off his shoulder at some time during the night, as she was now sprawled across his lap. A little too groggy to really care, Inuyasha just closed his eyes again.

            But Kagome mumbled something in her sleep. One word fell from her lips that was enough to make the hanyou wide-awake: 'Naraku'.

*                      *                      *

Evil Cliffhanger! Haha, I'll update as soon as I can! It may not be for another week though.

Love ya lots,

Vold!!!!!!!


	27. What Is Most Precious

A/N- I'm back! This chapter is pretty short. I didn't have time to make it much longer, so sorry about that. Anyway, thank you VERY much to all of you who reviewed. I love reading your reactions to my story!

ENJOY!

Disclaimer- Rumiko Takahashi owns them. Darn it!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 27

What Is Most Precious

            _Kagome pushed Naraku away from her roughly, but her momentum sent her tumbling backwards to land unceremoniously on her behind. To make matters worse, one of Naraku's claws had dragged along her elbow when she had pulled away, leaving a bleeding gash about three inches long going down her arm._

_            With a dark scowl, Kagome lifted herself up trying to save some dignity. That's when her thoughts from earlier that day bombarded her mind, and she asked the one question that she had been wracking her brains for all day trying to figure out the answer. "What the heck do you want with me? You could kill me here, there's nothing stopping you!"_

_            A malicious laugh was her answer, but Kagome didn't let that distract her. She was mad. Naraku seemed to only be toying with her, and Kagome had just about reached her limit of how much she could handle._

_            "Answer me!" She shrieked._

_            "Kagome, my dear, you're so naïve. I am not here to kill you. There are other things I'd like to do with you." There was a glint in Naraku's eyes, and Kagome backed up a step._

_            Kagome didn't even want to start to imagine what Naraku meant by his statement, so she threw another question his way, "Why can't you just leave me alone?!"_

_            "Because you're so much fun to play with. And believe me, I would love to see your little hanyou's face when he finds out about all this."_

_            "Why is Inuyasha involved? I thought you only wanted the shards!"_

_            Again, her only answer was Naraku's laughing…_

_*_

Inuyasha was sitting absolutely silent on the couch. Had he misheard her? Kagome had just mumbled 'Naraku' in her sleep. What could she possibly be dreaming about…

            Then some of the answers hit the hanyou. _'Kagome's nightmares!' _

            Trying to hear what she was mumbling, so as to obtain more information about what was going on, Inuyasha tugged Kagome's elbow trying to turn her body so she was facing him. 

            Watching her face intently, he waited until the sleeping girl might say something else. Instead, her face suddenly grimaced in pain, leaving Inuyasha to wonder what had just happened in her nightmare. 

The hand that was grasping slightly on Kagome's elbow suddenly felt sticky. Pulling it away to see what it was, the hanyou was quite surprised to realize his palm was bloody. Inuyasha whipped his head from his palm back to Kagome's elbow, laying his eyes on a bloody gash.

His amber orbs slipped back to his palm as a drop of her blood starting traveling its way down his arm. _'What the hell?'_

*

            _"Kagome, I believe you underestimate the feeling of revenge."_

_            "Is that what this is all about? You want revenge on Inuyasha?" Kagome couldn't believe that Naraku was going to such extreme measures to get himself a little revenge. But then again, this is Naraku we're talking about._

_            "What would be a more perfect way to kill that hanyou bastard, than with the one thing most precious to him."_

_            "What are you? Some sort of cryptic idiot? What could possibly kill Inuyasha that you think is precious to him?" But then Kagome was struck with a thought. "Kikyo?"_

_            Naraku's answer was only a laugh. _

_            "What does messing with my mind have to do with you getting Kikyo to kill Inuyasha?" _

_            "Kikyo does not have the power to kill Inuyasha. As much as she may wish it not so, her all-powerful priestess days are over."_

_            "Then what could possibly be so precious to Inuyasha?" Kagome was really confused now. _

_            Naraku's cold glance landed on the jewel shard around Kagome's neck._

_            Immediately, her mind started filling in the blanks. "You mentioned me joining you a couple nights ago. You want me to join you for my jewel shard? And then kill Inuyasha with it?"_

_            Naraku didn't answer, so Kagome took his silence as a 'yes'.  "I would never help you Naraku." Kagome stated it so matter-of-factly, it surprised her. She suddenly felt calm…until Naraku started laughing even harder than before._

_            "My little miko, I wouldn't be so cocky. Must I prove to you again just how much power I have over you?"_

_            "What?" But Naraku didn't answer. Instead, Kagome suddenly felt angry. She couldn't figure out why, all she knew was that she was pissed. The jewel shard around her neck glowed with blue energy, quickly absorbing her anger, and leaving Kagome wheezing and completely winded on the cold ground with the white mist swirling above her._

_*_

            Inuyasha sat dumbfounded, completely lost as to what was happening. Kagome had been mumbling incoherently, but she had just said a clear sentence. 'I would never help you.'

            _'What could possibly be going on in her nightmare?' _He thought hopelessly.

            The next event confused Inuyasha even more. It also surprised him. The shard around Kagome's neck flashed a brilliant blue, practically blinding him.

            But Inuyasha had to focus his attention back to the once again mumbling Kagome.

*

_             "I am in control here. I can feed you emotions when your mind is weakened. You cannot avoid me as you tried to do last night. You may believe what you want to Kagome. But you shouldn't put so much faith in your little hanyou, he cannot protect you from your own mind. And in the end, you will not have what you want." Naraku stated from somewhere through the mist above her._

_            Kagome stood to face the dark eyes that were boring into her own._

_            An image of Inuyasha and Kikyo from her first nightmare with Naraku appeared in her mind. But she shook her head furiously to rid her mind of the image Naraku had just implanted in it. "That's not true Naraku."_

_            "As I've said before believe what you want to."_

_            "I won't let you hurt Inuyasha with the jewel. You want me to join you and give up my shards to hurt him."_

_            "I love your fire Kagome. But your insecurities are your weakness."_

_"Would you talk normal for once? Nothing you are saying makes any sense!"_

_"It wouldn't make sense to someone so innocent." Naraku's hand reached out to slide down the curve of Kagome's waist, but she slapped it away as soon as he made contact with her. _

_"Don't touch me Naraku." Kagome hissed._

_"I do not think you are in a position to be giving me orders." But Naraku didn't seem to be angry or domineering. Instead, it seemed as if this was all a joke to him. He continued, "I'm waiting this out Kagome. It won't be long. One good push and you'll be running to me."_

_"No!" Kagome yelled._

*

            Inuyasha was able to make out another sentence. 'Don't touch me Naraku.' An instinctive growl started low in his throat. Then the troubled girl in his lap yelled, 'No!' and Inuyasha was immediately trying to wake her up. 

            "Kagome." He whispered frantically while shaking the girl slightly. "Kagome." He tried again a bit louder.

_*_

_            "Kagome." The far-off voice reached Kagome's ears, and Naraku heard it as well. _

_            "Kagome." The voice repeated. Naraku smirked when he recognized the voice as Inuyasha's. _

_            "I think we're caught." Naraku said wickedly. "He's on to you Kagome. You'll just have to choose: Deal with me, or risk killing your friends." _

_            Kagome glared at him, but it was ineffective as she suddenly lost sight of Naraku completely, and began to wake up._

_*_

            Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief when Kagome's eyelids fluttered open, revealing glazed over brown eyes. She closed them again, letting her long lashes rest against the creamy skin on her cheek, and she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

            "Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. She opened her eyes and snapped her head to look at him in shock, as she hadn't seemed to realize he was there. She also didn't realize that she was sitting in his lap, and her face was mere centimeters from his own.

            With a blush, Kagome slid off of his lap to sit on the other side of the couch. _'Just stay calm. Maybe he didn't hear enough of my nightmare to get any answers. If I pretend like nothing happened, he might too.'  _"Sorry. I must have fallen asleep without realizing it last night. You could have moved if you wanted to. You didn't have to stay here on the couch." Kagome mumbled apologetically. 

            Inuyasha was slightly stunned by how she hadn't even acknowledged her nightmare, nor had she seemed to care that blood was dripping sluggishly down her arm.

            Kagome saw his gaze on her arm, and with a groan, remembered when Naraku's claw had cut her. "Heh Heh, I guess I should clean this up." Kagome said, gesturing towards her wound.

            Inuyasha nodded dumbly, and watched as she strolled to the bathroom to wash the blood off and bandage her arm.

            Kagome returned a few minutes later, and sat beside him with her head down. But she didn't speak.

            "Kagome?" Inuyasha repeated. "What just happened?"

            Kagome didn't raise her head. She just sat there silently as she steeled up her nerve for what she might have to tell Inuyasha. It seemed the hanyou must have heard enough, as he had a thoroughly perplexed and slightly horrified look on his face when she first woke up. _'I can't avoid this. And I can't lie to him anymore.'_

            Kagome's brown eyes met amber ones, and it seemed Naraku was right. 

            She was caught.

*

Miroku sat quietly in a corner of Kaede's hut, where he usually slept, and watched Sango's steady breathing from where she slept near the other wall. Kirara was curled up near her head, and because Kagome wasn't there, Shippou had made himself comfortable on Sango's stomach.

            The monk couldn't sleep. He had felt a strange aura earlier that night. It had felt slightly familiar, but try as he might, Miroku could not place where he had sensed this before.

            Too deep in his thoughts, he didn't notice the sleek, green, dragon-like creature that was floating back to its master, to report that Inuyasha and Kagome were not there.

            *

Heh Heh, sorry for ANOTHER awful cliffhanger. I'm off to camp tomorrow and I won't be back for about a week, so the update will be a little late. 

Love ya lots!

VOLD!!!!!!!!!


	28. No Options, Learn To Deal

A/N- Whoa, sorry for the LONG delay in updating. Thank you to all of you who reviewed, I loved coming home from camp and reading all of your great comments. I still have quite a few chapters to go, I never realized how long this story was getting. Please tell me if you think I am dragging out the plot, or if anyone is WAY out of character. 

Disclaimer- Oh yeah, I own Inuyasha. Since it is _so _likely that a 14 year old (15 on August 17 Yay!) girl is able to buy the rights to a show. Haha, good one! No, they all belong to the great Rumiko Takahashi!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 28

No Options, Learn To Deal

            _'What's the worst that could happen? Inuyasha can't actually do anything about it. He might try to take the jewel shard, but I won't let him. That would only make me a risk again. Either way, my life is in danger. But, Naraku did say he wasn't planning on killing me…  so original my decision stands.'_

            "Kagome?" A concerned yet determined voice crashed through the young miko's thoughts, and she forced herself to focus. 

            _'Even…even if Inuyasha is angry, I won't back down. He doesn't control me.' _Taking a deep breath, Kagome decided it was now or never. Better to get it over with before she lost her determination.

            Inuyasha sat expectantly on the couch beside her. He waited with baited breath, and he knew whatever Kagome was about to spill would answer all of the questions that had been piling up in his head.

            "Inuyasha, you overheard the conversation between me and Kaede right?" Kagome decided to explain this in as few words as possible. 

            "I didn't really understand it." He admitted.

            With a sigh, Kagome realized that it would be a bit harder than she'd hoped it would be to spill her guts on the matter. "Kaede told me, that it was possible for there to be a very powerful connection between two people. If one of these people could discover the power in the connection, than they could enter the other's mind."

            Inuyasha was remembering what he had heard Kaede explain. "Whatever happens in that person's mind, will happen to their physical body too." The hanyou finished.

            "Yep." Kagome mumbled staring down at her lap. 

            That was the boost that Inuyasha's mind needed. All of the answers fell into place. "Naraku is connected to you?" He asked in a voice that was dreading the answer.

            "Yep." Kagome whispered again. 

            "The cuts on your arm and shoulder? All of your nightmares? They were Naraku?" Inuyasha's voice had dropped to a low growl.

            Kagome's throat had dried up in anticipation. She could only nod.

            "What the hell is the connection? I swear I'll break it." The seething hanyou ground out.

            Kagome didn't answer. She stayed silent and kept her eyes glued to her nervously twiddling thumbs on her lap.

            "Kagome?" A threatening growl met her ears.

            "The-" Kagome took a deep breath to stop the tears that trying to come. She tried again. "The demon power in the jewel shard. My power is absorbed by the shard," Kagome took another deep breath as she fought against the wetness in her eyes, "All the shards are connected, so Naraku's shard also absorbs the demonic energy, and he's powerful enough to connect to it. He is part demon after all, so he can…he can enter my mind." 

Kagome couldn't fight against the tears any longer. She hated being so weak and crying all the time. But she was so scared how Inuyasha would react. He had asked her to tell him everything, and she had hid this from him. "He has control over me when my…" Kagome sniffled, "when my mind is weak, like when I'm sleeping. He can make me feel emotions and see images."

Inuyasha's just sat stunned. All the questions had answers. He knew what was going on. But he felt no sense of victory. He felt worse.

Naraku had found a way to torment and hurt Kagome, and he couldn't do a thing about it. An emptiness filled him. _'I can't protect her from this. I can't do a thing!' _Inuyasha angrily punched the pillow next to him, causing the stuffing to burst from the corners. Ignoring the damage, Inuyasha turned back to Kagome, intent on yelling at her. How could she have hid this from him for so long?

But the tears he saw cascading down Kagome's face as she looked at him with fearful eyes, made the angry fire within him burn out. "I can't do anything can I?" Inuyasha admitted dejectedly. 

Kagome shook her head. Her tears had slowed now that she knew Inuyasha's reaction was calmer than she'd thought. "You can't do anything about Naraku. Besides, he isn't going to hurt me."

Inuyasha looked disbelievingly from Kagome's face to the bandage on her arm. 

"He won't hurt me badly. He needs me for something." Kagome finished.

"What?" Inuyasha questioned suspiciously.

"I don't know. Something with the jewel I think." Kagome had completely calmed down by now. Inuyasha was being reasonable. Never had Kagome thought that he was capable of that.

"There's nothing we can do? Can't you enter his mind, or attack him or something?"

The options had crossed Kagome's mind, but none had posed as a real solution. "I can't enter his mind. I don't know how to feel the connection at all. And I can't attack him. I might die if I did, and also, I don't think you, Sango, or Miroku would want me taking your revenge away from you."

_'Why is she always thinking of other people!? Geez Kagome, I don't understand you!'  _Inuyasha saw only one solution left. He grabbed the jewel shard around Kagome's neck and snapped the chain so it came free. Kagome gave a frustrated growl and lunged, but slipped the shard in his haori and backed off the couch out of Kagome's reach. "He isn't going to connect to you anymore."

A fire sparked in Kagome's eyes as she looked at him from her sprawled out position on the couch. "Give that back." She hissed.

"No. This is the only way. You can learn to control your powers without the jewel."

"I can't! I attacked you twice and I practically killed myself when I didn't have the jewel shard!"

"I'm in charge Kagome!" As an afterthought, he added with a superior edge to his tone, "And you're getting angry."

Kagome's felt the energy build up inside of her. "Dammit!" She yelled as she jumped from the couch. She had to calm down. _'What had Kaede said to do?…Oh yeah, run and get rid of the energy.' _

Inuyasha watched in slight amusement as Kagome bolted towards the front door and ran outside. He followed and easily caught up with his superior speed. He stayed slightly behind her. 

Kagome ran down the shrine steps and began to jog along the sidewalk. It was early, and very few cars were driving down the street. The sun's rays had barely made there way across the horizon, but Kagome didn't let the lack of light affect her. 

She continued to run until she reached a small park. No one was there because of the early hour, so Kagome plopped down on a swing and tried to catch her breath. _'It worked. I'm not angry anymore. I'm exhausted, but not angry. But there is no way I can do this every time I feel angry or protective. _

_What other emotions could set me off. I haven't discovered anything else yet. Maybe I only have two that affect me like that? I hope.'_

A sound caught Kagome's attention, and she looked up startled to see two glowing amber eyes. 

"It worked." Kagome grumbled.

"See, you can control yourself." Inuyasha cockily stated.

Instead of getting annoyed by his tone, Kagome stood from the swing, and began to walk home. Inuyasha stepped into stride beside her, and Kagome smiled. She had gotten a lot off her chest, and it felt good. 

*

            The two entered the front door and found that no one was awake yet. This was quite a surprise because of all the noise they had made yelling and running out of the house, but hey, Kagome wasn't going to complain. She didn't want her mother angry at her again anyway.

            Inuyasha sat on the couch, but Kagome didn't follow suit. Instead, the miko launched herself at the unsuspecting hanyou so she laid on top of him giving Inuyasha a big hug. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I thought you'd be mad at me." Kagome mumbled into his chest.

            Inuyasha lay there stunned. This had been entirely unexpected. _'I guess she finally excepts who's in charge here.' _He thought smugly.

            Kagome pulled away with a small smile on her face. "I guess everyone needs a taste of their own medicine."

            "What?" The clueless hanyou mumbled, still recovering from the sudden hug.

            Kagome's smile turned to a smirk, the perfect replica of Inuyasha's, and she lifted up her hand to show the Shikon shard hanging in her grasp. She put on the necklace, and tucked the shard so it hung behind the fabric of her shirt.

            "Remember after that battle with Sesshoumaru, when you stole the shard from me before you shoved me down the well? I thought I'd try the same technique to steal the shard from _you_."

            Inuyasha could only stare at her. "When have you become such a sneaky little bitch?" He answered with slight amusement in his voice. Somehow, the situation had lost some of its tense seriousness, it was almost a game now, just to see who would come out on top of the argument.

            Kagome frowned. "You shouldn't have taken the shard from me in the first place. I can deal with Naraku. What I _can't_ deal with is the thought that I could kill you or anyone else if I lost control and didn't have the shard. I didn't tell you any of this because I knew you would react by taking the shard. I don't care how dominating you think you are Inuyasha, but this is _my_ decision. So back off."

            "Inuyasha! Kagome! This had better be the last time I'm woken up by you two bickering. It's a Saturday! People like to sleep in on Saturdays!" Mrs. Higurashi strode angrily into the living room with her hands on her hips.

            "Sorry Mom." Kagome mumbled as she quickly grabbed the pillow that Inuyasha had punch and hid it under one of the cushions.

            Kagome's mother sighed, "Go make yourself breakfast. There is some cereal in the cupboard."

            "Okay." Inuyasha and Kagome said in unison.

            Mrs. Higurashi smiled, she just couldn't stay angry at them for long. "Why are you two awake so early again?"

            "We fell asleep down here during the movie. I had a nightmare and woke up. Inuyasha just doesn't sleep much." Kagome answered. It wasn't a lie, it just wasn't the total truth.

            Mrs. Higurashi seemed to believe the excuse, for she nodded and left to go to the kitchen and make some coffee. The two followed behind her, and Kagome grabbed a box of Fruit Loops, two bowls and spoons, and sat at the table beside Inuyasha. Her mom set the milk on the table, and Kagome prepared the two bowls of cereal. 

            She passed one to Inuyasha who eagerly started to eat the bowl's contents. He had learned from past visits to use a spoon, and not to lap up the cereal like some sort of dog. Kagome had laughed at the irony.

            He finished his breakfast in no time, and decided to get something off his chest. "Kagome?" He called to get her attention. Mrs. Higurashi left the kitchen with her cup of coffee to leave the two alone. 

            "Mm Hmm." Kagome acknowledged that she was listening and looked up at him with the spoon in her mouth.

            "I'm glad you told me what was going on."

            Kagome's eyes widened slightly, and she swallowed before answering him. "Me too." She realized with a smile.

            "Is there anything else you're not telling me?"

            Kagome shook her head. "But I promise I won't hide things from you anymore. Because it seems you'll have a way to find out no matter what."

*

              "Kagome! Are you ready yet Honey? You don't want to be late for Ryoko's wedding!" Mrs. Higurashi called up the stairs. "I'll be waiting in the car for you okay?"

               "I'm almost done!" Kagome answered from her room. Kagome felt silly having her mom still driving her places, as all of her other friends had gotten their licenses over the past year or so. But the young miko just didn't see the need, nor did she have the time to be worrying about her driving test and what not.

               Kagome looked critically at herself in the mirror. She never had liked dressing up too much, and she felt slightly ridiculous in the dress she wore. Sure, it was beautiful. It was light pink, form-fitting, spaghetti-strapped, and it fell slight below her knee. The fabric was silky, and the color worked really well on her.

             But Kagome still felt uncomfortable wearing such a nice dress. It contradicted her life too much. She was used to wearing her uniform or breezy sundresses. The fabric was made more for comfort, and it seemed that know matter how many fights, falls, or adventures Kagome got into, her uniform wouldn't tear or become too worn.

               This dainty little dress would probably rip if she tried to run in it. _'But some things can't be helped.' _Kagome thought with a sigh. She did another once-over in the mirror, and passed herself off as looking decent enough. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, but a few strands fell from the style and framed her face. 

              She wore very little make-up, just a little lip-gloss and blush. Kagome was fortunate enough to naturally have a good complexion and long lashes, so she didn't see the need in wasting time to perfect it. She had fought her mother on the shoes to wear. Kagome's stubborn mom had wanted her to wear these ridiculous high heels that Kagome didn't think were possible for her to walk in. She had wanted to just put on her flip-flops. Kagome had won the argument thanks to a 'graceful' fall while she tried wearing the dreadful shoes that gave a new meaning to _high _heels.

                Okay, so maybe she was exaggerating. But Kagome wasn't in the mood to dress up like a little princess and wear a fake smile plastered on her face all day. Of course she was happy for Ryoko, after all, they were good friends, but Kagome couldn't shake the thought of how pointless a lot of the things she had to do in her time were. Even at seventeen, Kagome had learned just how precious life was. Naraku could kill her whenever she fell asleep, and instead of being where she belonged in the past trying to defeat him, she was here playing dress-up.

               _'Wait, did I just say the past is where I belong?' _Kagome hadn't even realized how easily the thought had gone through her mind. It was a bit unnerving, and Kagome chose to ignore those thoughts for the moment.

               Inuyasha stood impatiently by the stairs. He had insisted on following Kagome to this wedding, as he was still determined not to let her out of his sight, but Kagome had made him promise to stay outside and not be seen by other people. "Feh." Inuyasha mumbled. _'The wench acts like she's ashamed of me sometimes. Like she doesn't want people to think of her as anything but a normal girl. Does she really dislike having to leave this time to return to mine?' _The thoughts were depressing, and Inuyasha brushed them off as just being an affect of his foul mood. It didn't matter anyway. _'Feh, when she's done with her duty in the past, she'll probably come prancing back to her home to be with that 'Hoho' boy and live her _'normal' _life.' _

             _'If she even lives through all of this.' _A nagging voice called in the back of the hanyou's mind.

               "Inuyasha?" Kagome called from the top of the stairs. He had looked very deep in thought, but his shoulders were slumped, so whatever he was thinking about must have been depressing.

              Inuyasha was still in a daze as he turned his head to acknowledge her. His breath caught in his throat. She looked _beautiful_. She had a soft smile on her face as she gazed down at him. _'What if that innocent young woman on the stairs is killed because you couldn't protect her? She could die any night. What if Naraku just decides he doesn't need her anymore?' _That nagging voice made itself known again.

               _'Shut up!'_ Inuyasha growled. _'Oh, great, now I'm fighting with myself.'_

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called again. He was strangely quiet.

             "What?" He snapped. He immediately regretted it though.

            "I'm _sorry _for trying to get your attention." Kagome retorted sarcastically. Her smile was immediately turned to a scowl. "We're going. If you want to follow along and play watch dog, no pun intended, then by all means, get in the car."

            "Very funny." Inuyasha growled as he followed Kagome to the car. He hadn't wanted to ride in the 'van', as Kagome and her mom had put it, but Kagome had said that her dress would probably get wrinkled or ruined if she rode on his back to the church where the wedding was. He _hated _the 'van' though. It smelled, and he felt like it was losing control and was going to crash every time it stopped or sped up. 

             "Can't I just follow along? I can run just as fast, and I'll stay on rooftops." Inuyasha asked irritably. He noticed Kagome didn't have the jewel shard around her neck. It was probably in that purse thing of hers, he figured. '_She most likely thought I would snatch it back the first chance I got. But I doubt Kagome would let me. Besides, it would hurt her more to think she couldn't trust me to respect her decision.' _

             _'Since when do you care what she wants?' _That voice was getting really annoying.

             "Suit yourself. But I'm not going with you." Kagome stated indifferently.

            "Feh." Inuyasha answered. 

            A few minutes later, Kagome and her mother were driving down the streets, with a red blur following behind them moving along the buildings.

*

   (I know that the Japanese wouldn't have the traditional Catholic wedding, but I don't know how it's done in Japan, so for the story's purpose, it's just your regular church wedding.)

                 "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." The priest announced. Kagome clapped with the rest of the guests on the pews of the church as she watched Ryoko and her handsome new husband share a quick but passionate kiss. Ryoko really was gorgeous, and you could see how much love and adoration the couple shared for one another just by seeing the looks they gave each other.

                  Kagome followed the crowd that trailed after Ryoko and her husband as the couple exited the church to the limo waiting outside. Kagome wasn't going to the reception, since all she wanted to do was go home and rest. Her mom hadn't attended the wedding with her, since Mrs. Higurashi thought it'd be rude as the invitation hadn't included her name. Kagome had assured her mother that Ryoko wouldn't mind, but her mother stubbornly assured her that she had errands she needed to do anyway, and she also needed to pick up Souta from baseball practice.

                  Mrs. Higurashi had told her daughter to call her on her cell phone when she was ready to go. And Kagome was about ready to do just that. She fumbled around in her purse to make sure her cell phone was still there, and was assured that it was. Her fingers bumped against something smooth, and Kagome pulled it from her bag to reveal the jewel shard she had placed in there earlier. She absentmindedly held onto it, and her eyes returned to watch the happy young couple enter the limo.

               _'Ryoko found the love of her life, and she's off to start a brand new life with him.' _Kagome thought wistfully. A strange feeling ran through the young woman's mind at that thought. _'What was that?' _

              The crowd around Kagome began to disperse as they headed to their cars to follow the limo to wherever the reception was being held.

              Kagome looked up once more to see the limo start to pull away. A sign had been placed on the back saying 'Just Married.' The windows in the limo were open since the day was warm, and Kagome could see Ryoko lean over to kiss her husband as the vehicle drove past where she was standing on the sidewalk outside the church.

              Something snapped, Kagome felt a tingling in her fist that held onto the jewel shard, and the young miko fell to the ground. 

*

Please leave a review and tell me what you think!

Love ya lots,

Vold!!!!!!               


	29. Realization

A/N- I am SO sorry for the long wait for this chapter. School just started so my updates are going to be less frequent than they were over the summer. I'm going to start answering a few questions that some reviewers ask me, so here we go…

**Froglegs- **Yours wasn't actually a question, I just wanted to thank you a bunch for recommending my story to a friend. I appreciate every reader I can get. So THANK YOU!

HanyouGohan- I don't really get much mail from fanfiction, so I really can't help you out with your question. But the site did mention some problems with mailing to accounts on Outblaze and such, you might want to take a look at it if you still aren't getting mail. kagome- I'll try to remember to e-mail you when I update. But please forgive me if I forget, my memory is really bad. Tell me in a review if you got the e-mail I sent about this update, if not, than I probably screwed up your e-mail address or something. 

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 29

Realization

            A lot of people that attended Ryoko's wedding had noticed the stunning young woman who entered the chapel by herself when the guests were still arriving. No one really seemed to know who she was, but some had witnessed the smile exchanged between the girl and the bride when Ryoko noticed her when walking down the aisle. Others had seen the strange way she looked wistfully after the limo as the bride and groom were driven away. 

            But than a yellow flash came from her hand and the young woman had fallen suddenly to the ground. Almost instantly however, a strange boy with long white hair had appeared, picked up the unknown guest, and seemed to fly off somewhere. It happened so blindingly fast that the witnesses of the event merely dismissed it as a trick of the light, or came to the conclusion that they were just finally losing it. And they headed to their cars to go to the reception.

*

            Inuyasha had been watching Kagome intently from his spot in a nearby tree. There was something wrong with her, that much he could tell. But he couldn't put a finger on what seemed so different. It was almost as if she was walking in a trance. Her eyes seemed glued to that strange, long, white car, and she didn't seem to notice the people standing all around outside the chapel.  

            Inuyasha's guess that something was wrong was proved obviously correct when a bright yellow light came from Kagome's closed fist, and he watched in horror as she slumped to the ground almost lifelessly. Needless to say it was entirely unexpected, and the only thought Inuyasha's mind could process was to get Kagome out of there.

            He had leapt from his perch and grasped Kagome's form to him bridal style when he reached her. In the blink of an eye, he was gone from the spot, and was racing across the rooftops of the city.

*

            Kagome creaked her heavy eyelids open, wary of the bright light that would soon come crashing in on her tired eyes. She was pleasantly surprised however when she saw that the curtains had been pulled down over the windows of her bedroom, leaving the room with a gray sort of light.

            _'Wait, how did I get back to my room? Wasn't I at the wedding?' _Kagome thought in a tired sort of daze. 

            "You okay?" A gruff voice questioned from somewhere in the darkness. 

            Kagome jumped at the unexpected voice, but she quickly recognized it as belonging to Inuyasha. Lifting her head slightly, Kagome could make out his form sitting against the wall opposite her. His gold eyes shone through the misty colored light, and looked slightly creepy. 

            Kagome brushed the observation aside and answered in a scratchy voice, "I think so. Did you close the curtains?"

Inuyasha gave her a questioning gaze, and nodded. 

"Thanks."

"Feh, it wasn't like it was hard or anything. Don't make such a big deal out of it."

Kagome scowled but ignored the remark as she realized she had no idea why she was suddenly in her room. "What happened?" She asked.

            Inuyasha stood from where he had been crouched against the wall, and strode over to sit on the end of Kagome's bed. "Look at the shard."

            Kagome did as told and looked down to where the jewel hung by the necklace that was looped slightly around her fingers. It looked normal at first, but after closer inspection, the young miko noticed a very faint yellow mist that seemed to twist itself around the jewel. "What is that?"

            "I'm guessing the remains of the power it just absorbed. It was a lot brighter before." Inuyasha stated matter-of-factly, although he was actually quite proud of what he had figured out in the short time he had to think while running back to the shrine form the church.

            "But what power….oh." Realization hit Kagome like a tidal wave. She looked up at Inuyasha with dread on her expression. "Did I pass out in front of all those people!?" She practically shrieked.

            Inuyasha looked slightly stunned. "Is that all you're wondering?" He asked incredulously. "Isn't there something more important you're supposed to be figuring out?" Inuyasha hinted.

            Kagome looked slightly pensive and snapped her fingers.

            "You figured it out?" He asked hopefully.

            "I have no idea! Tell me, what should I be figuring out?" Kagome asked brightly. 

            Inuyasha sighed, "I think being in your time is dulling your mind." He mumbled under his breath.

            "What was that?" Kagome asked sitting up in her bed. 

            "What made you build up the demon power in you Kagome? Whatever you were feeling made you emotional enough to have the jewel suck in enough energy to knock you out." Inuyasha blurted out.

            "Oh! That's what you wanna know?" Kagome smiled sheepishly and a rosy blush stained her cheeks.

            "Yes! Kaede told you to figure out your emotions that set you off as soon as you can." The hanyou stated frantically.

            "But I figured this one out already." Kagome defiantly retaliated.

            Inuyasha glared at her, "I need to know so I can keep an eye out to make sure you have that emotion under control. _And_, you aren't allowed to hide things from me anymore, remember."

            Kagome pouted and muttered 'Damnit' under her breath.

            Inuyasha wasn't used to hearing Kagome swear, but ignored it as he needed to hear her answer.

            Taking a deep breath and lowering her head, Kagome admitted in a monotonous voice, "I was jealous."

            "Huh?" The stumped hanyou brilliantly answered.

            Kagome whipped her head up to fix a cold glare on him. "I was jealous!"

"But why?"

Kagome let out a growl of frustration, "I saw Ryoko and her husband and I could tell how much they loved each other! Ryoko found the love of her life and was off to start a new life with him! And there I was, all dressed up and looking foolish, standing all alone! Yes, I was jealous! There you happy now? You persistent jerk!" Kagome suddenly felt dizzy. __

_'I shouldn't have wasted all of my energy yelling at him. Crap, now I feel bad. I was taking out all my frustration on Inuyasha, and he was only looking after me.' _ Kagome crashed back against her pillows.

"Kagome?"

"What?" She murmured. The little amount of energy her body had built up was wasted in one stunning little hissy fit. But Kagome couldn't care less right now. She wanted to go to sleep.

"You alright?"

            "I'm going to go to sleep." She mumbled.

            "What about Naraku?"

            "Screw him. I'm too tired to think about it right now. It'll be fine."

            _'I could just take the jewel from her when she's sleeping. Then Naraku can't get to her. But I can't betray her like that. Although, I do have to protect her. Should her protection come before her wishes?' _The hanyou stared angrily at the shard that caused all these questions to run through his mind.

Kagome's mind was running to other worries. _'Mom is going to ask a lot of questions when she gets home.' _That thought had Kagome stirring herself awake again. She didn't open her eyes though, she was too exhausted. "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?" He asked startled. He thought she had gone to sleep.

Kagome absentmindedly mumbled everything out before she fell fast asleep. "I want to go home. My bag is over by my desk. I packed it this afternoon, because I knew we'd be going back soon. Mom will be here any time now, I wanna leave before she comes. Can you carry me back?" Then she drifted off to sleep, not even waiting for an answer.

She didn't get to see the reaction of the hanyou to her unknown referral of the Feudal Era as her home. It had just come out without her noticing. But Inuyasha had definitely noticed.

_'She said my time was her home. Why does that seem so right?'_ A strange feeling had overcome Inuyasha when he heard Kagome say that. It was as if his mind had realized something, but Inuyasha couldn't figure out what. But something had changed in him. 

He stood and grabbed Kagome's bag by the desk, slung it over his shoulder, and stooped to pick up the sleeping girl into his arms. Looking at the shard, he made the decision to leave it alone, at least for the moment. Inuyasha stole one glance at Kagome's peaceful face, and the strange feeling came over his mind again.

_'Something has _definitely _changed.'_

*

Sorry for the shortness of this chapter. Hopefully I'll have more time so I can make the next one longer.

Love ya lots,

Vold


	30. Dream or Reality

A/N- Again, so sorry for the long delay in updating. I have so much stupid school work and there is very little time between sleeping, school, and homework to write. I'll try to update soon, but no promises. I love you guys! I cannot believe I have over 200 reviews! That is unreal! Thank you all so much!

Disclaimer- I hate this part. No matter how many times I try to deny it, Rumiko Takahashi owns all these characters. Feh!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 30

Dream or Reality

            _"Kagome? Where are you my dear?" The taunting voice echoed around her, stopping her from pinpointing where it came from. Of course, when the cold hand clamped around her shoulder from behind, Kagome concluded that Naraku was now behind her. _

_            'No duh Genius.' Kagome chided herself. "May I help you Naraku?" She asked in a voice dripping with sarcasm. The hand around her shoulder tightened slightly causing pain to the not yet healed wound. _

_            "That's a pretty little dress you're wearing. The skirt is longer than the one you usually wear, what a pity. I like the green one better." The other hand slid to the hem of Kagome's dress. Kagome stood stock-still, suddenly afraid. Sure Naraku had scratched her before, but trivial wounds she could handle. The young miko knew that Naraku could try anything he wanted here in her mind, and she was basically helpless to stop it. _

_            The hand around the hem of her skirt brushed against her leg, and Kagome's fear doubled. 'No.' Her mind screamed at her……_

_*_

            Inuyasha hadn't taken five steps away from the well when a bundle of fur came crashing into the stomach of the precious cargo he carried. "I missed you Kagome!" Shippou wailed from where he was clinging to Kagome's dress.

            Growling, Inuyasha shoved Shippou onto the ground and bopped him on the head for good measure. "She's asleep you moron. If you keep screaming you'll wake her up." He snarled.

            Apparently Shippou hadn't noticed that little detail and immediately quieted his voice. "I wondered why you were carrying her. Is she okay? Why is she all dressed up like that? She looks pretty. Did she bring me a present from her time? Did you guys get in a fight at all? Did--"

            The kitsune didn't get a chance to finish his ramblings as Inuyasha went bounding off down the path towards the village blatantly ignoring him. Shippou obediently scurried after the retreating hanyou, and it wasn't long before the two demons and sleeping miko arrived at Kaede's hut. 

            "Back so soon Inuyasha?" Sango questioned as she walked into the main room of the hut from where she had been cooking out back. Miroku followed behind with a smirking Kirara on his shoulder. The bright red handprint on his cheek was no doubt the cause of Kirara's smug smile, and Sango's slight scowl. 

            "Oh my, what is wrong with Lady Kagome?" Kaede questioned from her spot on the floor before an array of herbs. 

            "Baba, she's asleep. Nothing's wrong with her." Inuyasha retorted with slight worry in his voice. He looked down at the sleeping miko to double check for any wounds or something that may have caught Kaede's attention. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

            "Why is she sleeping in the middle of the day?" The older woman pressed. She could tell something was very wrong. Miroku suddenly looked slightly apprehensive, and Kaede knew his spiritual powers were going haywire like hers were. Kagome was radiating two different auras. One was hers, the other one was buried deeply beneath it, but it was still there to the spiritually aware.

            "Naraku." Miroku murmured. 

*

            "Don't touch me you pervert!" Kagome shrieked and whirled around with her hand raised. The loud smack of her palm connecting with flesh was oddly satisfying and frightening at the same time. She couldn't believe she had just done that.

            Naraku's cold glare became an amused smirk and he whispered, "You struck me little girl. I do not think that was wise." His hands reached towards her and grabbed around Kagome's waist pulling her to him. 

            Kagome was pinned against his hard chest and no matter how she struggled it had no affect. She couldn't move. Her energy had been spent earlier that day, and Naraku obviously had the upper hand in strength.  

            A hand reached up and tugged slightly at the zipper of her dress. "Get your hands off me!" She cried. Helplessly, Kagome brought her hands to the chest in front of her and tried to push him away. Blue miko power unleashed itself from her hands pushing Naraku away from her, having him land ungracefully on his back a few feet in front of her.

*

            "What do you mean, Miroku?" Sango asked.

            "I sense Naraku's aura." Miroku mumbled, gazing suspiciously at Kagome's form.

            Inuyasha's reaction was enough to prove Kaede's own thoughts. The hanyou had immediately set Kagome on the ground and was shaking her shoulders urgently. "Wake up Kagome! Come on!" He urged. 

            "Inuyasha, that won't help. She isn't going to wake up until she regains some of her strength." Kaede scolded. 

            Inuyasha turned on her. "What would you know Baba!? You have no idea what is going on!"

            Kaede raised her voice an octave, "Let me take a guess! I do hope I am wrong about this, but I will presume that Naraku has a connection with Kagome and is in her mind at this very moment."

            At Inuyasha's dumbfounded, look she elaborated. "I could tell something was wrong when I was telling Kagome about nightmares and such. I presume you were eaves-dropping then, as you seem to know this too."

            Inuyasha scowled and mumbled a 'feh.'

            "Get your hands off me!" Kagome yelled from where she lay asleep on the floor. She seemed to spasm slightly before becoming unmoving once more.

            All eyes had turned to Kagome's form, and Inuyasha's growl was steadily becoming louder and louder. "Calm down Inuyasha. Lady Kaede said there was nothing we can do, so how about you explain what is going on!" Miroku insisted. Sango nodded, her face creased with worry for her best friend.

            "Baba can, since she seems to know everything." Inuyasha snarled.

            "Sit down everyone, if this is what I think it is, we will be needing some answers from Inuyasha. And getting him to talk may take a while." Kaede informed, as everyone made themselves comfortable. "In very rare circumstances, two beings can have a strong connection with one another. If one of these beings can figure out how, they can enter the mind of the other. Whatever happens in the person's mind, will have an affect on their physical body."

            Sango shakily found her voice, "Are Kagome and Naraku…connected?" She asked, though she was dreading the answer.

            Kaede nodded gloomily. "What is the connection Inuyasha? Why haven't you destroyed it?"

            Inuyasha's face was set in a grim line. He didn't like having to listen to this. "I can't destroy it."

            "Why not!" Shippou yelled! "What is it?!"

            "The jewel shard, and Kagome's demon power."

*

            "You have so much power. Why don't you put it to good use, instead of following around that mutt?" Naraku growled from where he had just stood back up in front of Kagome.

            "And what would you call 'putting to good use?'" Kagome spat.

            "Come with me. Become my ally, become my lover. We could put an end to Inuyasha together." Naraku smoothly stated.

            "I'll never become your little whore. And I'll NEVER help you hurt Inuyasha!" Kagome defiantly retorted. "You may be able to put your emotions through me, but I can control my powers now.  And if not, the jewel shard will catch me. All you can do is harass me in my mind."

            That struck a nerve. "I wouldn't underestimate the control I have over you. True, when I feed you emotions, their power is weakened. But it is not my emotions that are what you need to worry about. The destructive force of your own pure emotions unleashed is astounding."

            "But that's just it. You cannot control my own emotions. You merely feed me yours. You're pitiful."

*

            Inuyasha's answer was slowly sinking into everyone's mind. It wasn't hard to see the dilemma. Kagome wouldn't want to remove the jewel shard as it kept a leash on her emotional attacks. The said jewel shard was hanging from a necklace draped loosely around Kagome's wrist.

            "Kagome doesn't want to take off the shard. She will keep it with her no matter what the consequences are." Inuyasha stated looking forlornly at the sleeping girl before him. 

            "NO! This is bad! What if he kills her?!" Shippou wailed with tears leaking from his eyes. No one was able to stop the kitsune when he jumped at the shard and grabbed it. Clutching it in his tiny fist, Shippou ran at top speeds from the hut, paying no mind to the constant yells telling him to come back. Inuyasha dashed after him. 

*

            Naraku grabbed a fistful of Kagome's hair and threw her body onto the ground before him. She struggled to get back up, and rose herself to her hands and knees. Naraku leaned in front of her and grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to look at him. A claw slipped and scratched the pale skin of her cheek. "Listen to me Kagome! You have no choice. Stop this honor nonsense and give in to me. You will be mine, whether you like it or not!" He hissed in her face.

            Something very unexpected happened. The hand clutching her chin no longer had anything to hold onto. His hand just fell through her as if she wasn't there. Kagome stared dumbstruck as Naraku slashed frustratingly at her body, and his arm sailed right through. 

            "You can't touch me." Kagome murmured absent-mindedly after a few moments. 

            "Someone removed the shard." Naraku growled.

            Kagome looked down at her fist where she had moments before been clutching a necklace. But the necklace and jewel shard were gone. "Why are you still in my mind? Shouldn't the connection be broken?"

            A cruel laugh was her answer. "The connection will always be there you naïve little wench. As soon as you had the demon power in you and the shard was in your possession the connection was made. I cannot touch you because the jewel isn't touching you, so the connection isn't as strong. But it is still there. It will always be there."

            This news didn't dampen Kagome's spirits just yet. She was upset that the shard was gone, and she hoped she could keep her emotions under control until she found out where it went. But Naraku couldn't touch her. "What can you possibly do now?! You can't touch me, and you already admitted that the emotions you feed me are weak."

            Naraku's face became the coldest smirk Kagome had ever witnessed. "Just watch me." Then, he disappeared. And Kagome fell into blackness.

*

            Kagome was standing by the Goshimboku. She couldn't remember why she was there, or what was going on. Two warm arms encircled her. Turning slightly, Kagome recognized a pair of warm amber eyes gazing into hers. "Hey Inuyasha." Kagome greeted, and with a sigh, she relaxed back into his arms. Her eyes closed, and she leaned against the warmth of his chest as he clutched her possessively to his body. Kagome's mind felt was telling her there was something wrong, but right now she would savor the moment and ignore it.

            'Thud!' An arrow whizzed by her head and embedded itself into the bark of the sacred tree. 

            "Inuyasha!" A deep female voice yelled. "I won't let you leave me for her!" 

            Kagome whirled around in Inuyasha's grasp to look over his shoulder. Kikyo stood not far away and was notching another arrow into her bow. Inuyasha wasn't moving though. He hadn't even turned around to acknowledge the soulless priestess. 

            "Inuyasha? She'll kill you if you don't let me go and move!" Kagome struggled to release herself. 

            "She wants to kill you. I won't let her." He murmured clutching onto Kagome even tighter. He emitted a yelp of pain when an arrow slammed into his shoulder blade. His arm went slack and Kagome wiggled free. 

            "Run Inuyasha! She'll kill you!" Kagome shrieked with tears welling up in her eyes. Another arrow hit Inuyasha straight in the back. He slumped down onto the ground before her. 

"Run Kagome!" He desperately called. 

            "No!" The green light came willingly to her hands. Kagome stood defiantly in front of Inuyasha's fallen form. Lifting her hands above her head, the emerald power collected into the deadly orb. "Don't hurt him!!!!" She screamed as the sphere shot blindingly fast at Kikyo. 

*

            "What is going on?! Sango desperately questioned, holding onto Kagome's hand. Tears leaked from the young miko's closed eyelids, and a small scratch had appeared on her cheek a few moments before.

            Miroku noticed the green light just seconds before Kagome's power was unleashed. "Sango move!" He bellowed while lunging at the demon exterminator to push her away from Kagome. 

            "Don't hurt him!" Kagome screamed as green power shot from her hands……

            It was dead quiet. The blast had subsided. One wall of Kaede's hut was no longer there, and Sango slowly lifted herself up from where her body had landed after Miroku had pushed her out of the way. Kaede rose moments later. She had been behind Kagome, so she was fine. Kirara 'mewed' from the corner where she had been sleeping. Inuyasha and Shippou had been gone since they both ran from the hut, the hanyou chasing the kitsune. 

            Sango saw two unmoving forms a few feet in front of her: Miroku and Kagome.

*

Love ya lots,

Vold


	31. Shared Energy

A/N- I put these at the bottom so you guys can just get right on reading.

Disclaimer- Rumiko Takahashi owns all 

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 31

Shared Energy

            "Shippou! You need to come back!" Inuyasha dashed after the panicked kitsune who was just barely in his sight. _'Since when has this kid got so fast?' _The hanyou momentarily pondered before realizing he would have to speed up. Putting on an extra burst of speed, Inuyasha was able to snatch Shippou's tail just before the kid could make a leap over a small creek. 

            "Let me go!" Shippou wailed. The grip on his tail did not loosen even for a moment. Not ready to give up, Shippou tossed the pinkish shard that was clutched tightly in his hands into the creek he was dangling above.

            "Nice try brat." Inuyasha commented as he swiftly maneuvered his other hand to catch the jewel shard. "We need to get this back to Kagome."

            "But why? Naraku could kill her! Why can't you see that! Am I the only one who cares about Kagome?! She can't have that jewel shard near her!" Shippou was close to tears, and he doubled his efforts at trying to squirm his way free.

            Angered by Shippou's tirade, Inuyasha's temper made him forget the importance of bringing the shard back right away. "Listen you little brat! I am very well aware that Naraku could kill Kagome. But she told me he wouldn't. I guess he needs her for some plan of his, but that is all she told me. And even though I am angry as hell about it, I cannot force her to remove the shard!" Inuyasha paused to take a breath before he continued. "Kagome could die if she doesn't have enough energy and she attacks. The jewel shard stops her from doing that. Now have I gotten it through your thick skull that Kagome needs this shard?!" Just before he turned to leave he added, "And don't you _ever think that you are the only person who cares about Kagome." Inuyasha hissed out the final words before dropping the kitsune into the creek, turning around, and speeding back to the hut._

*

            "No." Sango whispered. This couldn't be happening. Miroku couldn't be dead. He just wasn't allowed to be. She could not lose another person. She would break. "No!" Sango yelled even louder. Kirara stood stock-still next to her master, not knowing what to do. Sango dove at Miroku's fallen form and shook his shoulders forcefully. "Wake up! Please Miroku!"

            Kaede was slowly gathering her bearings. She had never witnessed such a power before, and had never imagined Kagome as being the source of it. Her miko senses made her alert with the slight demon aura still surging through the air and emitting from Kagome's still form. 

            Kaede reached for Kagome's wrist in fear. 

            "What the hell happened?" A hoarse voice questioned from the doorway. Kaede, Sango, and Kirara turned their heads to see Inuyasha standing in front of the entrance, with a terrified look on his face. No one answered him as it seemed the hanyou already knew what had happened by the way his eyes traveled over the remains of the wall to the right of him. The wall had been blasted to bits and the path of destruction continued towards the fields where it finally seemed to have diminished. Thankfully no villagers had gotten in the way.

            One could practically see the way the wheels turned in Inuyasha's mind as the realization hit him. Kagome had attacked, and she had not been awake or full of energy. Whipping his head towards her still form, he finally noticed Sango crouched over Miroku, who also appeared lifeless. Sango was crying, obviously assuming the monk to be dead. Inuyasha's hanyou senses told him better as he could hear the monk's heart beat and shallow breathing.

            "Sango, he's fine. He's just unconscious." Inuyasha grumbled slightly annoyed.

            "What do you mean? He was hit by the blast!" Sango sputtered out between her crying.

            Inuyasha was already in a panicked state and his temper flared up at her human ignorance. "No he wasn't! If that pervert had been hit by Kagome's attack he would resemble that wall over there. Ya know, the one blown to bits. He must have hit his head. Now move out of my way!" The hanyou growled and stepped over Miroku's form leaving a stunned Sango in his wake.

            Inuyasha had indeed been correct, as Sango soon realized. She could faintly hear the houshi's breathing, and he was moving slightly signifying his soon awakening.

            Sango now knew one of the people she cared about was okay, now to see to Kagome…

            Inuyasha and Kaede both had gone pale. Grabbing the young girl's wrist, Sango did not feel a pulse.

            Kagome was dead.

*

            _It was so peaceful. Well, there wasn't really an 'it' that could be described. There was just…nothing. All her memories were gone, she felt relaxed and completely calm._

_            Until a feeling like she was being torn apart into a million pieces and being dragged downwards overcame her._

_            Kagome opened her eyes to find herself lying flat on her back with that annoying white mist swirling above her…_again_. She had never had a hangover before, but she imagined this is what it felt like. Her head was throbbing, her joints ached, and she felt extremely nauseated._

_            "Whoops. Almost lost ya there." A deep voice chuckled. "I really should pay more attention to just how weak you really are. Apparently that image made you a little bit _too _protective. It never occurred to me that you would actually die from losing too much energy."_

_            Kagome could only think of one thing to say to Naraku right now, "I hate you."_

_            His cruel laughter echoed around her. "Oh come now. I just saved your life. You lost all of you energy and what do I do? I let you have some of mine. You do remember me telling you how I can give you energy right?"_

_            Kagome didn't answer. She just lay there catching her breath until she was ready to speak. "I died?" _

_            "Yep. And it would have been an awful shame. Luckily I gave you some energy just in time. If I waited a few more seconds you would have been a goner."_

_            "How very thoughtful of you." Kagome snapped sarcastically. _

_            "So, did you like my little image?" Naraku sounded like a three year old asking how their picture in a coloring book was. He was that excited and proud of himself._

_            "That was all fake? That whole think with Kikyo shooting at Inuyasha was just an image?"_

_            "Of course. But that energy was all yours. I guess I might need to clarify something for you. We are connected no matter what. It's just I cannot physically control you without the shard near. But I can still mentally have a hold on you. If I can make you attack of your own free will, the destruction you cause is amazing."_

_            "You are such a sadist." She commented dryly._

_            "Yes, I'm aware of that. Now, why don't you get that jewel shard back so I don't have to make you attack anymore. There's no point to make you attack when you have the jewel shard, and I have so much more fun when I can actually touch you. I think that is a good compromise. You wear the jewel shard, and I don't make you attack and hurt the people around you without knowing it. That is what you're afraid of, is it not?"_

_            "I have one question for you. Was that nightmare I had a few days ago with Inuyasha leaving me for Kikyo also an image?"_

_            Naraku appeared above Kagome as she hadn't gotten up off the floor yet. He offered her a hand to help her up, but she predictably refused._

_            Lowering his hand, Naraku answered her. "Yes, and having you attack with hatred was also just part of the image. None of that energy was real. You can't feel hatred anyway, you are too pure." A cruel smile etched itself onto his features. "This is why it will be all the more fun to defile you. But now it is time to wake up Kagome. I'll let you take some more of my energy so you can awaken right away."_

_            Then he disappeared, and Kagome could feel herself being rushed into consciousness._

_*_

            Kagome was _not _dead. And the realization felt like a huge weight coming off of everyone's shoulders. Shippou had come barging in through the flap a few moments before, and before anyone had to break the shocking news to him, Inuyasha announced that the supposedly dead girl's pulse had just come back. For a moment there, the grief was so horrible; Kaede thought Inuyasha was going to seriously lose his mind. He had clung to Kagome's wrist not believing that she was truly gone. It was by some miracle that he had been given another chance, and you could tell he knew that by the eagerness displayed on the hanyou's face for Kagome to awaken. Now they all waited expectantly around Kagome, not knowing what was going on, or how this miracle had occurred in the first place.

            "I suppose we could just let her rest, while we return to our other duties. She is probably trying to gain energy again by sleeping like she has done before." Kaede offered to try to make the tense situation easier to deal with. But predictably, no one moved a muscle.

            Shippou had curled himself on Kagome's stomach, and Inuyasha was too worried to remove the kit. 

            Thoughts were running through the hanyou's head, but one prevailed among the rest, _'Please open your eyes Kagome.'_

*

I know, I have been gone for weeks and when I finally come back it is with an extremely short chapter. I'm really sorry everyone. School has really been a workload lately and I'm surprised I could even get this chapter out. I'll be updating sooner than this one took though, so no worries. Thank you all for sticking by me.

Lots and lots of love,

Vold


	32. Panic Attack

A/N- So sorry, yet again, with the long delay. I feel horrible not being able to post out new chapter very frequently. I love all of my readers, and I thank all of you for sticking with me. Enjoy!

Disclaimer- Nope! Rumiko Takahashi's still got 'em. 

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 32

Panic Attack

            "Inuyasha, I think Miroku is starting to wake up." Sango gently whispered. She didn't want to startle the hanyou as he seemed extremely tense waiting for Kagome to pull herself into wakefulness. But as Inuyasha had stated, Miroku was just unconscious from hitting his head to hard. The amount of power he had sensed probably didn't help matters as his spiritual instincts had been greatly affected. But he was beginning to stir, and Sango knew it was only a matter of time before the monk awoke. She wasn't sure whether she would hug him or kill him. His recklessness could have been his demise, but Sango also knew that he had risked his life for her, and she couldn't exactly bring herself to be mad at him.

            "Inuyasha?" Sango questioned once more. She had expected some sort of response to her statement.

            "I heard you Sango." Inuyasha sat there staring dully at Kagome's still figure. He had been that way for nearly twenty minutes, and it was starting to bother everyone how quiet he was. He took the jewel shard and had placed the chain it was attached to around Kagome's wrist…just in case.

            Kaede made another attempt to get him out of the little daze he was in. "Inuyasha, why don't you go hunt, or perhaps take a run around the forest. It will make you feel better, and you can't do anything for Kagome right now. She needs to restore enough energy and wake up on her own. And seeing as how much energy she must have lost, it could be days before she reawakens."

            "Shut up old hag! I know that, and I am prepared to sit here for as long as it takes for Kagome to wake up. Why are all of you…"

            Inuyasha trailed off when he heard a mumbling sound. Its source was none other than the supposedly asleep girl. "Did she just say something?" He questioned.

            "I dunno." Shippou answered while leaning over Kagome's face expectantly.

            "I said, 'can all of you please keep it down? My head hurts.'" Kagome replied more clearly. She was feeling really drowsy, and that hangover feeling had yet to leave her. It was very disorienting, and she had no idea where she was at the moment. Her mind backtracked, and Kagome realized that the last thing she remembered was going to sleep in her own bed back in the present. She must have still had her dress from the wedding on, as she was horribly uncomfortable in whatever she was wearing. 

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, touching her cheek slightly.

"Kagome, wake up." Shippou whined.

            That's when Kagome's mind jolted back to all of the memories of what Naraku had told her, and then how she had died. 

Inuyasha was quite shocked when Kagome's supposedly energy lacking body bolted upright, knocking Shippou to the ground. Her chocolate brown eyes were wide as they swept in her surroundings. Kagome stared at the pile of rubble where there once was a wall, and then her eyes traveled to everyone's face as if to make sure they were okay. 

            "Kagome?" Inuyasha asked again, a little worry in his voice. He could hear her breathing become ragged when her eyes found their way to Miroku's unconscious form. Her mind put two and two together.

"Oh my goodness, is Miroku okay?" She anxiously questioned.

            "He's fine, Kagome. But you shouldn't be up. You couldn't possibly have regained all of your energy by now." Sango proclaimed as she crawled next to Kagome to put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder.

"She is right Kagome. It just doesn't seem possible that you're even awake right now. Calm down child." Kaede soothingly added.

"I was so worried Kagome." Shippou cried as he sprung into her arms.

            Kirara curled next to Kagome's outstretched legs, as if also saying she had missed the young woman.

Inuyasha only focused on Kagome's eyes. There was something terribly wrong. The way her heart was beating, and her breathing staggered proved to the hanyou that Kagome could go into hysterics at any moment. Everyone was crowding around her to see if she was okay. She looked panicked. 

Kagome jumped up, ignoring the head rush, and dashed out of the curtain door sprinting at top speed away from the hut. 

"Kagome!" Nearly everyone yelled simultaneously. 

"I'll get her." Inuyasha stated in an uncharacteristically calm voice. He bolted to his feet and followed the fleeing miko.

            "Kagome! Stop!" Inuyasha called. He was shocked at how fast she was. Putting on an extra burst of his demonic speed though, he easily caught up to her. Grabbing her around the waist, he swung his arm to slam her back against his chest, pinning her arms to her sides. She struggled profusely, gasping heavily, like a caged and petrified animal. 

            "Calm down." He ordered. But it had no effect. She didn't even seem to hear him.

            "Kagome, I mean it. _Calm down!_" His tone of voice had Kagome freezing, and her shoulders drooped. Losing her balance, the young woman slumped against the sturdy form behind her. 

            It was as if she had only just woken up from her slight panic attack. Inuyasha slowly turned her small form around to look into her face. To his shock, she was silently crying. "Kagome?" 

            "I could have killed one of you. I…I can't do this. He has complete control." She mumbled to herself.

            Stumped, the hanyou tried piecing together what he could to try to understand what she was talking about. 

            "Kagome, no one is hurt. You just didn't have the jewel shard with you, and you weren't awake to catch yourself before you attacked. Everything's okay."

            Angry eyes shot up to glare into his own. "Everything is _not okay." She hissed. "Naraku has complete control over me. If I don't have the jewel shard on, he puts images in my head. He can make me attack whenever he wants because I don't know what is real anymore."_

            Inuyasha was a little taken aback by this. "He made you attack?"

            "I attack in whatever nightmare he's placed in my head." Her slight moment of anger had died away instantly, leaving behind the weak and sobbing form. "I hate this Inuyasha."

"We will find a way to stop him. I promise." Inuyasha vowed. Then, he wrapped her small form in a huge bear hug, holding her as tightly as he dared.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome mumbled against his chest.

            "I was so scared that I had really lost you. You _died. I couldn't take it. I felt so empty when I couldn't feel your pulse anymore."_

Kagome didn't answer, she just wrapped her arms around his strong body and returned the fierce hug.

"What made you come back?" Inuyasha whispered. He had yet to understand how the amazing miracle of Kagome coming back to life occurred. He figured it would have to be her determination to live, or her need to complete this quest. In his mind he secretly hoped that he was the reason she dragged herself from death. She knew that he needed her, as she always came back to him, no matter where she went.

Her answer had him completely stunned.

"Naraku." She whispered.

            A moment of awkward silence followed.

            "What?" A completely confused hanyou questioned.

Kagome sighed while pulling back a little from the embrace to look into his face. "Naraku wants to use me for something. I don't know what his plans are, but I am involved somehow. When he caused me to attack, he misjudged how much energy I would use." 

"What made you attack?"

Kagome decided to answer as truthfully as she could. "Kikyo was hurting you. I…needed to stop her."

Inuyasha couldn't answer. Naraku was using Kagome's own insecurities against her.

Kagome took a deep breath. "He gave me some of his own energy to keep me alive."

            "What does he want?" Inuyasha asked furiously.

"I don't know." She answered, suddenly slightly afraid of the anger she saw in his amber eyes.

 "What does he tell you when he talks to you? It doesn't make sense that he would go to all this trouble to keep you alive."

"What, are you saying you want him to kill me? He has the perfect opportunity to." She asked, slightly offended.

"No, you know I don't mean that. It's just annoying as hell. I don't know why he is messing with your mind, and I don't know how to stop it. I can't give him what he wants because I don't know what that is." The hanyou explained, letting go of his hold on Kagome.

            Kagome stayed quiet. This only served to make Inuyasha suspicious. She would usually be agreeing with him, or at least she would meet his eyes before. Now, her head was looking in all directions; anywhere to avoid his gaze. 

            "What are you hiding?" He asked. 

            No answer.

            "Kagome, I told you not to hide things from me! I can't help you if you don't tell me what is going on." His anger was rising. She had lied to him again. 

            "Inuyasha, if I keep the jewel shard on, I won't have any risk of attacking you guys. Naraku won't make me have weird images, and he won't kill me. I think that's a compromise." Kagome murmured.

            "Wait, so he doesn't need to jewel shard to connect to your mind?" Inuyasha was starting to put two and two together.

            "No."

            "So, why does he care if you have the jewel shard or not."

            Silence.

            "Kagome…" He growled her name warningly.

            "He can't…he can't touch me when the jewel shard isn't near me." She whispered.

"Wait, if he doesn't want to kill you or hurt you, why would it matter if he can touch you or…" 

            Moments passed as Kagome waited for Inuyasha to figure everything out. She new his mind came to the right conclusion when a low growl was emitted from his throat. "He hasn't…" Inuyasha left the question unfinished.

"Nothing has really happened." Kagome whispered. 

"That bastard."

"Inuyasha! I can deal with it. I didn't want you to find out anyway." Kagome forcefully stated. She knew he would overreact. His growling was becoming louder by the minute, and she knew that she would have to do something soon to drag his mind away from the murderous thoughts that were probably rushing through it.

            "I'll rip him to shreds." Inuyasha growled.

Kagome didn't know what to do or say. "Look at me Inuyasha."

He obliged, though the anger hadn't dissipated from his eyes yet.

"I can with deal with him for now. I've held my own for a while now. Now calm down." Kagome felt a weird sense of role reversal, but ignored the irony of the situation in favor of cooling the enraged hanyou off.

            Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha's stormy eyes cleared a bit. "We'll get him soon."

"I know we will."

Kagome leaned forward and gave Inuyasha a peck on the cheek. "Thank you for always trying to protect me. I needed to get all this out. It feels good to talk huh?"

            Inuyasha smiled. She was back to her old self. Both had gotten through their moment of slight hysteria, and he could tell that she wasn't hiding anything else from him. He would kill Naraku. He couldn't stand the thought of Naraku having even slightly sexual thoughts about Kagome. It was disgusting. But for Kagome, he would take a deep breath, and cool his anger.

            "Kagome! Are you alright?" A voice called from Kaede's hut. Kagome jogged back to the building to find Miroku standing right outside it looking for her, while leaning slightly on Sango.

"Am _I alright? I should be asking you how you're feeling." _

"I'm fine, just a bump on the head." He stated with a smile. 

"I'm so sorry." Kagome apologized as she dashed up to the monk to give him a tight hug. 

Inuyasha, who was not far behind, immediately prepared himself to bonk Miroku over the head if his perverted self took advantage of Kagome's worry for the monk's health. Sango was also prepared.

All were surprised when Miroku merely rubbed Kagome's back soothingly. "Shh, it's all over now Kagome. Everyone's okay."

Needless to say, Inuyasha hadn't realized that those two were so close to each other. A slightly insecure feeling sparked in his mind. He had never really seen Miroku as any threat when it came to his feelings about Kagome.

But perhaps he had missed something?

            The hanyou shook his head as the two released the embrace. He was just being paranoid. Miroku knew that Inuyasha cared for Kagome, and wouldn't make any sort of serious move. Besides, Sango was the monk's main target right? Momentarily appeased, Inuyasha followed the group back inside the hut. But the spark had not been completely put out.

            "Kagome!" Shippou wailed as he fastened himself into a tight hug around Kagome's leg.

            "Hey Shippou. I'm glad to see you too." She returned the hug around the fluffy young kitsune. 

For now everyone was okay. But Kagome got the feeling that the peace couldn't possibly last. They were in the eye of the storm. The worst had yet to come.

*

Love ya lots,

vold


	33. False Calm

A/N- It feels so good to be writing again. I feel horrible about not updating for way over a month, but I lost my motivation. But I think I have it back, and I am ready go! 

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 33

False Calm

            The group had settled themselves for a meal, as they all were emotionally and physically exhausted. Kagome stubbornly refused to even think about her problems until she had had warm food, and she held a countenance of calm as she worked at heating the water to make ramen. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater that had been packed into her bag, as the dress was terribly uncomfortable to wear for such a long period of time. The others sat in a circle in Kaede's hut discussing what should be done next. Luckily, the weather was relatively warm, and the breeze that blew in from where the wall had once stood was pleasant. 

"Well, I think we should rest here for a bit, if that's okay with Lady Kaede of course." Miroku offered his opinion. Kaede however shook her head at this idea.

"What do you mean hag? Why can't we stay here?" Inuyasha rudely asked.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded. But she turned to Kaede with curiosity on her face, "Did you have a better plan Kaede?" 

            "Ye all need to leave immediately." Kaede stated. At the blank stares she received, the older miko realized she needed to elaborate. "I have never thought that Kagome's power could manifest so quickly. After seeing that attack, I am truly worried for all of your safety."

            Kagome shamefully looked down. "I'm sorry I pose such a threat." She murmured sincerely. 

            Kaede sympathetically smiled, "I don't mean it like that. That came out harsher than I meant it to. It is just that the longer Naraku is allowed to live, the more danger ye are in. If he can get into your mind, than all that power is practically in his hands."

            "Damnit!" Inuyasha slammed his fist onto the ground. The soup Kagome had begun distributing in bowls almost spilled, and Kagome scowled at him. Lowering his voice, the hanyou continued, "I wish there was some way I could stop him from entering Kagome's mind." He grumbled. 

"Inuyasha, I know ye are worried about Lady Kagome, but I know very little about what Naraku is doing. Ye know about as much as I do. There needs to be an extremely strong connection that is focused through a solid object. I hate to break it to ye, but there is nothing I can think of that would enable ye to do this. I also don't know what to do if ye were even able to come up with such a connection." Kaede lectured. She turned to Miroku, "Do ye know anything else Lord Miroku?"

Miroku snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head. "I don't know much at all." He answered. Sango gave him a curious glance. Was it just her, or did the monk seem nervous?

"Feh." Inuyasha spat. 

"Inuyasha? Do you want your ramen?" Kagome sweetly asked holding out a steaming bowl.

He eagerly accepted it, and gulped the hot liquid and noodles down happily. 

Kagome smiled, "You're very predictable you know that."

Inuyasha wiped his mouth with his sleeve and scowled at her. "What's that mean?" He asked offended.

"Well, whenever you start sulking, all I have to do is give you food and you're practically back to your old self." Kagome explained with a smile.

Inuyasha just glared, "I am _not _predictable."

"Of course you're not." Kagome assured off-handedly with a smirk on her face. 

Miroku saw the obvious start of an argument and nudged Sango for her to cut in. 

The exterminator nodded. "So what do you propose we do if we don't stay here and rest?" She questioned.

"Find and kill Naraku." Kaede said matter-of-factly.

Inuyasha halted his bickering with Kagome and stared at the old woman, "Well thanks for that bit of advice since we couldn't figure that one out." He stated sarcastically. "What do you think we have been doing for the past three years?"

"No more shard searching. I want ye to focus entirely on killing Naraku. Besides, most of the shards are probably either in Kagome's or his possession. There cannot possibly be that many more." Kaede reasoned.

"Lady Kaede, you make it sound so easy to even find Naraku. He very rarely makes an appearance, and more often than not, it ends up being a gollum." Miroku said.

"There is one who almost always knows where he stays." Kaede conspiratorially murmured.

"And that would be…?" Inuyasha angrily growled having no clue who she was talking about.

"A village, about a days travel to the north, says that the souls of dead maidens are being stolen. Only one name comes to mind when told of such a cruel act." Kaede turned her gaze to Inuyasha.

"Kikyo." He whispered. Kagome frowned, but she knew Kaede was right.

"You think Kikyo will know where Naraku is?" Kagome asked.

"Most likely. She seems to have a connection to him at least." Kaede answered. 

"Well, we're not accomplishing much sitting around here." Miroku advised. 

"I would like to talk to Inuyasha and Kagome for a moment, why don't the rest of ye pack things up outside." Kaede suggested.

Miroku and Sango nodded, and the exterminator bent to pick up Kirara, while Miroku snatched a reluctant-to-leave Shippou. "We'll be outside." Sango assured.

Inuyasha and Kagome sat confused before the older miko, and she waited until everyone had left before she began speaking. "Kagome, can ye sense your powers before that become dangerous?" 

Kagome hesitated and then nodded. "I can catch myself if I am paying attention, and I have learned to stop them immediately."

"What!" Inuyasha yelled turning towards the nervous Kagome. "Why didn't you stop your powers before? You didn't stop them at the wedding! You didn't stop them in your dream! I thought you could barely control them!" 

"Inuyasha let her speak!" Kaede snapped.

Kagome looked nervously between the face of the expectant miko and the fuming hanyou. "Well, at the wedding I was really distracted, and besides, jealousy was a new emotion. I wasn't looking out for the feeling of my power, and it just kind of snapped."

"And your dream?" Kaede prompted.

"I attacked on purpose." Kagome whispered.

"Why?" Kaede pushed further.

Inuyasha remembered the conversation from earlier that day.--

            _"What made you attack?"_

_Kagome decided to answer as truthfully as she could. "Kikyo was hurting you. I…needed to stop her."—_

His anger dissipated immediately. He answered for her, "She was protecting me." 

"Oh." Kaede nodded, and she smiled. "Well at least we know ye are putting your powers to good use." Her attention focused on Inuyasha. "Now your turn." Kaede frowned. "Ye are not to leave Kagome's side to run after my sister. Kagome needs ye to stay by her, even if she denies it." Her focus turned once more to Kagome. "I'm sorry dear, but I do not have faith in your ability to control those powers of yours on your own."

Kagome was about to protest, but Inuyasha interrupted her, "I understand."

The younger miko was speechless. She didn't think he would agree to not being allowed alone with Kikyo.

"Good, then when ye find my apparition of a sister, ye must all approach her together."

The two in front of her nodded, stood, and left the hut. Kagome turned and asked over her shoulder, "Are you sure you don't want us around to help you with that wall. I feel really bad about that." 

Kaede only smiled. "Your life is more important than a silly wall child."

Inuyasha thought to himself that he couldn't agree more.

*

            Night approached fast for the traveling companions, and Kagome personally couldn't wait to rest her head and get some shut eye. It had been a long day, and her muscles were sore from walking for such a long period of time. Inuyasha was relentless, and he only allowed the weary friends one short rest the entire time they had walked. A clearing had been found easily enough, as many times all one had to do was wander slightly off the path and a nice spot could be found. 

            Kagome unrolled her sleeping bag at the base of a tree, and Shippou immediately snuggled into it. Everyone else made themselves comfortable, but no one would state the obvious worry that was hanging in the air.

That was until little Shippou could no longer stand the silence. "Kagome, what happens if Naraku enters your mind again tonight?" Now the question had been thrown in the air, and no one had a good answer to it.

"Don't worry Shippou, we might get lucky, and maybe he'll leave me alone tonight." Kagome replied with a smile.

Shippou looked eagerly into her eyes, "You really think?"

"Sure. Now get some sleep sweetie. I'm sure you'll need your strength tomorrow to walk to rest of the way to that village."

"Take your own advice Kagome. You're practically dead on your feet." Inuyasha scoffed. She turned to him and playfully stuck out her tongue before plopping beside Shippou in her sleeping bag.

No one took Kagome's cheery attitude seriously, but what could be done. Naraku would indeed most likely enter her mind tonight, and none of them could do a thing. But if they slept, and kept their strength, then they could at least help her when they had to fight for her.

Kagome was asleep as soon as her head hit the makeshift pillow that was a rolled up towel. In truth, she should have tried to stay awake that night, as Naraku entered her mind as soon as Kagome was dreaming.

*__

_            "Oh my dear. It is so good to see you doing better." Naraku cooed as he pulled Kagome up from her lying form in the mist._

_            "I'm afraid I can't return the greeting." Kagome grumbled as she out of habit smoothed the wrinkles from her sweater._

_            "Now what do you say you stop this little game and just submit to my control now. It saves me the trouble of kidnapping you if you just willingly stray from your group and wait for me to get you. It won't be long you know. I think I know exactly how to break your mind to be completely loyal to me."_

_            "What are you going on about? I didn't understand any of that." Kagome grumbled._

_            With a sigh, Naraku walked towards her. "I really can't wait until I have officially gotten you on my side. It will be so much fun to see the hanyou's face when he knows he has lost the battle."_

_"Inuyasha will not lose." Kagome hissed. "We'll beat you. I have control of my power now, but I really can't wait to use it on you and have you feel what I'm capable of." _

_"I wouldn't mind feeling what you're capable of right now," was his lustful reply. Naraku grabbed her arms forcefully and dragged her struggling form towards his larger body. His lips crashed to hers, and Kagome bit his bottom lip to release her. Naraku pulled his head back with a scowl and licked the blood that had accumulated where she had bit him. He threw her small body onto the ground, and he followed soon after, officially pinning her to the ground with his much heavier form on top._

_"Get off of me." Kagome snarled. _

_"Not yet my little Kagome." _

_She shrieked and brought her knee up to knock him in the groin, but his leg overlapped hers and her efforts were fruitless. A clawed hand reached up and ripped a long horizontal line along the front on her sweater. A thin scratch appeared just above her breasts where he had sliced, and Naraku bent to lick the blood off the exposed flesh._

_"Don't touch me!" Kagome desperately shouted._

_She screamed again when she felt a hand crawl underneath her shirt…_

_*_

            Inuyasha hopped up into the branches of the tree Kagome had settled under, and he watched as Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippou dozed off. He could hear their slower heart beats and steady breathing, and was positive that they had been whisked to dream land. 

            Kagome wasn't sleeping, as her breathing was not steady and she was making small noises. "Kagome, get some sleep." He ordered, a bit more forcefully than he meant to. But his nerves were frayed. She didn't answer, so he figured she had ignored him. Kagome had the jewel shard on and they didn't have to worry about her attacking in the middle of the night, but what if Naraku decided that tonight he didn't need Kagome anymore for his plan and he just killed her?

            'You're being paranoid.' His mind told him. 

'No I'm not, I'm just worried.' Inuyasha harshly replied to himself.

 'Is it because you love her? What if Naraku doesn't kill her, but he takes her. You know what I mean. He sees her as a mate. _Kagome_ could be _Naraku's mate. How does that sound?' His mind was taunting him._

Inuyasha's eyes flashed red, but the Tetsusaiga around his hip immediately calmed him. For a moment there he almost lost control. The thoughts that were running through his head made him want to tear something to shreds.

He realized that Kagome was still very much awake down below him as her breathing was staggered, and he heard the rustling of cloth as she continually moved in her sleeping bag. With a growl he leaped off his perch to land beside her. "Hey, would you get some sleep. I'm keeping watch. I won't let anything…" His words died in his throat when he realized that Kagome was actually very much asleep.

He was slightly confused until the sleeping young woman in front of him murmured with a snarl, "Get off of me."

"No." He whispered. "Kagome! Wake up!"

Inuyasha almost lost it when blood began to stain the front of her sweater because of a scratch that was way too close to her breasts for comfort. 

A growl started to emit from the furious hanyou, and it only intensified when Kagome yelled, "Don't touch me!" followed by a scream.

*

I have such a terrible habit with cliffhangers. Don't kill me, the next chapter will be out soon. I promise!

I love all of you. Thank you for waiting so long and still being a loyal reader.

Please review!

-vold-


	34. Learn to Control

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

A/N – Ahh! 300 reviews! You guys are amazing! 

Took me a little longer than I thought to update. If anyone is confused about what is going on, go ahead and ask questions in your review. Enjoy! Oh, and I haven't done chapter dedications in a while, so this chapter is dedicated to Brittany and Koniko-chan. Thank you both for your motivating reviews. 

Disclaimer- Rumiko Takahashi owns 'em. I don't. Blah Blah

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 34

Learn to Control

            _Naraku realized his mistake when the energy began burning him in the chest. Kagome had almost forgotten about her own miko abilities.  She summoned it and the pure, blue power crackled at her fingertips and sizzled Naraku's flesh. It wasn't very controlled though, and the stream of energy disappeared as quickly as it came. But that didn't matter; Naraku was off of her, and now Kagome had the upper hand._

_"Ya know, one of these days I just might kill you." Kagome smirked._

_"You stupid whore."__ Naraku seethed from his hunched over position, clutching the wounded area._

_"I think I give you too much credit. Even I didn't think you would forget that I was a miko." She taunted._

_"I didn't forget." Naraku stated as he regained his dignity and stood up straight._

_"What do ya mean? You completely ignored the fact that maybe I don't just rely on my new power."_

_"First, you cannot be this cocky as you have very little control over your precious little pure magic. It only comes when you are practically helpless." A cruel grin spread on the countenance of the corrupt man in front of her. "Second, I didn't think you could still possibly have pureness left in you. I had figured that your miko abilities had diminished. Anyone with spiritual awareness would have sensed it."_

_Kagome just stood there. Kaede had mentioned something like this before. _

Flashback

"Ye do realize that your energy is part demon, do ye not?" Kaede continued, "Kagome, ye could be unintentionally corrupting the jewel."

End

_Kaede must have thought that the weakening miko energy was from the jewel. But it was Kagome's own power all along. "The demon energy is destroying my miko powers? It isn't corrupting the jewel at all?" Kagome questioned timidly.                                     _

_"That's right dear." Naraku smirked. "It really is a shame that that kotsonu got you when he did, you were so close to fully becoming a miko; all that training gone down the drain. You must have noticed the changes:  you can't sense auras anymore can you? You haven't shot a purifying arrow in ages. Don't tell me you think this was all coincidence." _

_Kagome was slightly stunned at the fact that she could no longer be considered a miko. Doubt began to cloud her mind. She couldn't do this without her gift of being a miko. _

_But she fought the depression with a weapon of her own. Images of Miroku, Sango, and Shippou flew through her head. They would still love her even though she wasn't a miko. Then her mind settled on Inuyasha. Needless to say, her assurance that he would help her through anything brought a new wave of determination, and the doubt left her thoughts. Kagome took a deep breath and met Naraku's stare with a cold gaze._

_"You won't break me Naraku."_

_And she snapped back into consciousness. _

_Naraku didn't look so confident anymore…_

*

Inuyasha backed away quickly when Kagome's hands began to crackle with miko energy. The power subsided soon after though, and he immediately was back at her side, shaking her shoulders roughly and trying anything to wake her up. No one noticed that Miroku had a very confused expression on his face when he saw the miko power. The rest of the group had woken up at Kagome scream, and each was watching nervously from their designated spots. Inuyasha wouldn't let anyone go near Kagome.

"Inuyasha, maybe we should dump cold water on her or something." Shippou suggested from where he sat beside Kirara.

"It's not a bad idea." Miroku commented in a strained voice. No one really knew what was going on, only that Kagome had screamed and they had all woken at the sound. It was obvious that Naraku was in her mind, and Inuyasha was trying to wake her up. But what could they do if they couldn't get near them? It was still very dark, as they had only gone to bed about an hour or so before.

"You won't break me Naraku." Kagome whispered threateningly. The tone of voice surprised the monk, who hadn't realized Kagome could become that angry. Inuyasha turned his head to look at Miroku questioningly, as if to see if the monk knew if Kagome was making sense.

"Inuyasha, I think you should let her go." Sango nervously offered, as she had just seen Kagome's eyes snap open.

"Why?" Inuyasha asked, without turning his gaze from Miroku. However, the hanyou's hands were still roughly holding onto Kagome, and the young woman was not exactly in the best state of mind. Inuyasha learned that he really shouldn't question Sango's advice because at the next moment, Kagome's fist came flying into his jaw.

It didn't particularly hurt, of course, but Inuyasha was stunned at the least. His grip loosened on Kagome's shoulders, and he turned his gaze towards her now very awake face. 

Kagome looked frantic, like a caged animal. But then her eyes met his and you could see the recognition set in. "Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled relieved, and she launched herself at the unsuspecting hanyou. He fell on his behind, but wrapped his arms around Kagome to return the embrace. Relief washed over him like a tidal wave. Those were some of the worst minutes of his life. 

"Kagome, what happened?" He whispered into her ear.

Kagome was very aware that they had an audience, and decided that Inuyasha didn't need to hear every little detail of her problems. He helped her more than even he knew.

"It doesn't really matter does it? I'm awake now." Kagome nonchalantly answered, much to Inuyasha's annoyance.

"Of course it matters! You yell and scream in your sleep, you get scratched in the chest, and then you wake up and punch me in the face! Now spill!" Inuyasha shouted with anger clearly displayed on his face.

"I punched you in the face?" Kagome looked confused. Then realization dawned on her. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't even realize that I was awake yet." She looked very sincere, but at the same time, Inuyasha could tell she was avoiding his demand.

"Kagome, you need to tell Inuyasha what happened." Sango calmly advised before Inuyasha could get anymore frustrated. 

"Can't I tell you guys in the morning or something?" Kagome saw Inuyasha shake his head and sighed. She continued in a dull voice, not wanting to let her emotional turmoil show. "Well, I made Naraku angry. Next thing I knew he was on top of me. I thought he was going to rape me, but I stopped him, and then I woke up."

Sango went pale. "Kagome, that's awful. I am so sorry." The woman grabbed Kagome and pulled her into a tight hug. Kagome couldn't keep up her act anymore, and the tears began to flow freely from her eyes. Sango held her tightly as the younger girl continued to sob. This time Sango wouldn't let anyone near Kagome until she calmed down. Inuyasha couldn't stand watching Kagome cry and do nothing about it. He couldn't help her, not now and not in her mind.

"Kagome, how did you stop Naraku?" Miroku asked soothingly when Kagome began to calm down a little.

Kagome looked up slowly and set her gaze on Miroku. She took a deep breath and regained some of her composure. "I used my miko energy." Kagome watched Miroku's reaction to that statement, and it was exactly how she figured it would be. His face looked shocked, and she smiled at him. "You knew didn't you Miroku?" Kagome knowingly asked.

Miroku seemed even more surprised that she knew what he did, but nodded slowly. 

            "Naraku said anyone with spiritual awareness would have sensed it. I figured you must have known, but why didn't you tell me?" Kagome questioned.

"I didn't think you needed to know. You have never had great control over your miko powers Kagome, and if you had known what was happening, I thought you might have had too much to deal with all at once." Miroku smiled. "But you seem okay with this. I am proud of you."

Inuyasha, Sango, and Shippou were thoroughly confused. "What the hell are you two blabbering about?" Inuyasha growled.

Both Kagome and Miroku snapped out of their little one-on-one conversation, and Miroku decided he'd let Kagome answer this one.

"I'm not a miko anymore. I barely have any pure miko power left, and that's why Miroku was surprised when he heard that I used my miko energy against Naraku." Kagome explained.

"Kagome, you have been training for years, how are you so calm about this?" Sango asked.

"I admit, hearing it from Naraku wasn't exactly how I would have wanted to find out." Kagome sent a joking glare over at Miroku. "But I knew you guys wouldn't care whether I was a miko or not. I'd still be accepted, so I didn't let it get to me. I knew you'd all be there for me." Kagome smiled. "I know it's sappy, but it helped me gain confidence."

Shippou giggled and jumped up to give Kagome a hug. "I'll always accept you Kagome." Kagome smiled at his sweet innocence. 

"Shippou speaks for all of us Kagome. Don't worry about your miko power. We'll always be here for you. Now, let's get some sleep." Sango prompted. 

Kagome's smile faltered. 

Inuyasha saw the flinch and waited sitting nearby while everyone settled around to get some sleep. Everyone was tired, and ten minutes later, his little group was off in dreamland. Well, everyone except Kagome. 

The hanyou strolled over to her sleeping bag, scooped the surprised young woman, and leaped onto his perch in the tree above them. Kagome let out an indignant squeak of surprise, but calmed when she recognized her captor as Inuyasha.

He settled them on the wide branch, Kagome with her back resting against his chest, and his arms around her. "I'm not letting you avoid going to sleep." Inuyasha stated as soon as she had gotten comfortable.

"I don't want to go back to sleep _okay." Kagome hissed. He was being all controlling again._

"You need to rest Kagome. We have a long day tomorrow." Inuyasha whispered in her ear. His hot breath against her skin sent shivers down her spine, and Inuyasha mistook her shiver as one that she was cold. He wrapped his arms tighter around her small form and reassured her, "I won't let you fall." 

Kagome smiled. "You did last time." 

"That doesn't count." He gruffly replied. "Naraku won't enter your mind again tonight."

"And how do you know that?" Kagome whispered back.

"I just do," was his cocky answer. 

Kagome was indeed exhausted. The dried blood on the front of her shirt was uncomfortable, but the scratch had stopped bleeding, and she could just put disinfectant from her bag on it in the morning. Giving in to the warmth around her, Kagome fell asleep.

Naraku tried to enter her mind again that night, but it wasn't weak enough to break into. Inuyasha's presence surrounding Kagome kept her confident and safe. But because of this little setback in his plans, Naraku now saw the perfect way to break her.

*

            As soon as the others began to stir the next morning, Inuyasha leaped from the tree and settled Kagome next to Shippou. She was awake and smiled at him as soon as he set her down. "Thank you." She whispered. Inuyasha smiled, he had been right about Naraku not visiting that night. 

            Inuyasha watched as Shippou's slumbering form immediately curled closer to Kagome's welcoming scent, and the hanyou couldn't help but be slightly envious. Pushing the emotion down, Inuyasha walked over to Miroku, who was still half asleep, and nudged the monk with his foot.

            "Wake up monk. I've got a favor to ask ya." Miroku grumbled something, but dragged himself out of dreamland.

            "What is it Inuyasha?" Miroku asked annoyed, but not showing it.

            "I want you to teach Kagome to control what little miko power she has left. It protected her before, and I want her to be able to use it in case she's in a tough situation again." Inuyasha stated.

            "How thoughtful of you." Miroku teased.

            "Shut up. Will you do it?" Inuyasha asked.

            "I was thinking about doing something along those lines anyway, so of course I will. We can start now while everyone is still waking up." Miroku offered.

            "Kagome." Inuyasha called.

            Kagome looked up questioningly from where she had been petting Shippou in her lap.

            "Miroku's gonna start training you a little bit with that miko power of yours." Inuyasha stated.

            "What's the point, there is probably no pure miko power left anyway. It's too corrupted by the demon energy." Kagome explained.

            "There is still pureness left inside you Kagome. Inuyasha is right that you need to learn to control it." Miroku offered.

            "But Kaede said I would probably never learn to control them fully. They only come when I really need them." Kagome looked thoughtful. "But I guess she's been wrong about things before. Who says she isn't wrong about this too?"

            "Kagome, follow me. We need peace and quiet. Don't worry Inuyasha, we won't go far. We won't be long either. I'll just try to teach her to find what power is left." Miroku explained.

            Inuyasha suddenly felt that strange insecurity again. He hadn't known that Miroku and Kagome would have to be alone when he asked the monk to do this. Kagome didn't seem to mind at all though, as she stood up and followed Miroku away from their little clearing and into the woods surrounding them.

            "You better not follow them you know." Shippou advised from where he had been lying awake on Kagome sleeping bag.

            "And how long have you been pretending to sleep?" Inuyasha asked annoyed.

            "Long enough to see that you kept Kagome with you last night, and to hear you talking to Miroku. You're hogging her. Kagome sleeps next to me, not you." Shippou stuck his tongue out to further aggravate the flustered hanyou.

            "Shut up." Inuyasha growled.

*

            I guess that's all for now folks. I'll update as soon as I can.

Love ya lots,

vold


	35. The Consequences of A Broken Promise

            A/N- I am SO sorry for the long wait. My grades have been falling and I had to focus on those for a little bit. I love you all and you can thank 'Palm*Tree'  for getting me to write this and get my typing back in gear. This chapter is dedicated to you Jo!         Please Read and Review everyone!

Disclaimer- Rumiko Takahashi owns them all!                         

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 35

Consequences of A Broken Promise

After changing really fast into a more comfortable white blouse, Kagome followed Miroku until they were relatively a mile away from the campsite. Miroku didn't want Inuyasha to be eavesdropping as the monk figured the idea would cross the hanyou's mind. Kagome needed complete peace, so he stopped them beside a quiet stream deep in the forest.

"Alright Kagome. What did Kaede teach you about sensing your own miko energy?" Miroku prompted as soon as the two were settled.

Kagome blushed, "I wasn't very good at that part of the training."

Miroku smirked, "You _really_ weren't raised to be a miko huh?" He mocked jokingly.                                       

"Why you-!" And Kagome dove at the monk that was sitting in front of her. The two landed hard on the ground and tumbled until Miroku lay a top Kagome right beside the river. Miroku was chuckling and tickling Kagome's ribs relentlessly. Kagome couldn't stop from bursting into a fit of giggles, but she tried to restrain his hands nevertheless.

"I won't stop until you say 'Miroku, you are the sexiest man alive, and the ladies can't keep their eyes off of you.'" Miroku demanded with a grin.

"No!" Kagome shrieked but the scream had very little effect as it was accompanied by escaping laughs. 

"Say it. You know it's the truth." Miroku teased.

"Okay, okay, I give. Miroku, you are the sexiest man alive, and the ladies can't keep their eyes off of you." Kagome repeated.

"Don't I know it." Miroku laughed.

            "Shouldn't you be training me to find my 'inner power?'" Kagome mocked. 

"We probably should begin actually." Miroku suggested seriously and rolled off of her. They both sat cross-legged by the edge of the stream and Miroku began the session…well seriously this time anyway.                                 

            "Close your eyes." The monk instructed.

Kagome did as she was told but murmured, "I already told you. Kaede and I went over this."                                        

"Did you ever succeed in seeing your own energy to know where to draw it from?" Miroku questioned.                         

"Well," Kagome faltered, "No. We tried, but I could never focus my mind and clear it." She smiled sheepishly.

"That's the trick. You need to physically keep your mind aware of your surroundings so you're not attacked while you're finding your miko powers. Your spiritual mind needs to search your own soul. There will be areas of power that you'll be able to sense, and you just need to tap your mind into those sources of miko power. It will be more difficult for you to find your energy I'm afraid do to how little is left." Miroku admitted.                          

Kagome took a deep breath and retracted her mind into her soul. Kaede and her had gone over this part, she just wasn't very good at sensing the miko energy. Letting her mind wander, Kagome saw flashes of memories of times she always remembered. This was why she never could focus. Kagome always had troubles on her mind, and it was often difficult to get a certain silver-haired hanyou out of her thoughts.                                                                                     

Digging deeper, Kagome felt a twinge of power. _'Gotcha!'_ She thought triumphantly as the power got more intense the closer in its direction she went.

Cold water enveloped Kagome's body and she screamed at the sudden sense of drowning. Frantically kicking her legs, Kagome surfaced and waited for her eyes to adjust to the sudden snap back into reality. Her deep honey eyes rested upon the hunched over figure of Miroku, who could barely keep his unmanly giggles from bursting.                     

"I told you to keep your physical mind on your surroundings." The monk gasped out as he rolled on the ground in a fit of laughter, as he had been the one to push her in to prove a point.                                                                 

            Kagome climbed onto the stream's bank and squeezed the excess water out of her clothes and hair. Her glare was so intent on the monk, that she didn't take time to notice that water did not work well with a white blouse. Well, she noticed when she was predatorily approaching Miroku and his laughter abruptly stopped when his gaze landed on her exposed flesh. Her bra was also light in color, and the result didn't leave much to the imagination.                                 

            Kagome shrieked when she realized her state of undress, and she crossed her arms to cover herself up. "Quit staring pervert, or I'll tell Sango!" Kagome hissed, but couldn't get the blush from her cheeks.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Miroku chuckled one more time no doubt remembering why Kagome was wet in the first place. But he removed his outer robe nonetheless and wrapped it around her shivering body. The morning air was chilly, and the water was colder. Kagome was thankful for the robe, but she huffed instead of thanking him for it. It was Miroku's fault anyway that she was cold…not to mention slightly exposed.   
            

The monk kissed her on the forehead and rubbed her forearms to get the warmth back in them. "Sorry 'bout that." He cracked a smile. "You should have seen your face when you came out of the water though."                                     

Kagome couldn't help but smile. "You're probably my best friend, ya know that Miroku?"                                            

"Back at ya Kag. Hey, I was really scared this morning. We all were. Inuyasha was seriously frightened… speaking of Inuyasha." Miroku's sincere face melted into his classic perverted one. "How come when I woke up last night, I didn't see you in your sleeping bag?"                                                                                                               

Kagome blushed deeply. "I was with Inuyasha in the tree. His presence has always calmed me and made me stronger. It kept Naraku away." She whispered.

"He should probably be staying with you every night then." Miroku suggested seriously.                                                 

"It makes me more confident knowing I have him there with me no matter what." Kagome mused, reminiscing of the conversation right before leaving Kaede's. 

_*Kaede frowned. "Ye are not to leave Kagome's side to run after my sister. Kagome needs ye to stay by her, even if she denies it." Her focus turned once more to Kagome. "I'm sorry dear, but I do not have faith in your ability to control those powers of yours on your own."*                                                                                           _

            "Inuyasha agreed not to go after Kikyo alone. He's going to stay by me." Kagome smiled fondly at the hanyou's promise.

"Let's go back." Miroku suggested. "You were really close to your miko power there, but you weren't focused at all physically. These sessions need to be short, because you will become too distracted if they are too long."                               

"Fair enough." And Kagome trudged back to the camp alongside Miroku.                                                                     

*                                                                                                                                              

"Ya know, Kagome and Miroku have been really close lately." Shippou commented to the hanyou who was nervously fidgeting on a tree branch above the kitsune. Sango was still sound asleep, and Kirara was laying asleep beside her. Shippou was bored, which meant his only means of entertainment was tormenting Inuyasha. Too bad for the hanyou Shippou knew exactly where he was insecure at the moment.

"Miroku's a lot nicer to Kagome too." Shippou added. The kit knew of course that Miroku and Kagome were only friends, and there was no romantic attitude about their relationship. But Inuyasha didn't know that now did he?               

"You really need to shut up Shippou." Said hanyou growled.                                                                                         

"I'm only warning you that you might have some competition. Kagome could choose Miroku." Shippou said these words so tauntingly that Inuyasha lunged from the tree to grab his large bush of tail and throw him against Kagome's unrolled sleeping bag. He didn't want to seriously injure the kit of course.                                                                        

"Kagome would never choose Miroku." Inuyasha stated.

"Are you reassuring me or yourself?" Shippou continued from where he had made himself comfortable on the squashy material. 

A green phantom like snake floated just outside the perimeters of their campsite, and Inuyasha took immediate notice of the soul stealer. Shippou followed the hanyou's gaze and with a squeak, hid underneath the sleeping bag.                     

No one in the group except Kagome knew of his promise not to go after Kikyo alone. And with the possibility of Shippou's words being true causing him to be slightly angry and unsure of Kagome at the moment, Inuyasha went off alone and followed it without thinking…                                                                                                                     

*                      

Kagome and Miroku arrived back at the camp to see Sango had yet to wake up, Kirara curled up near her, and Shippou and Inuyasha nowhere to be seen…wait, a suspicious lump in Kagome's sleeping bag gives away the whereabouts of Shippou, but Inuyasha?                                                                                                                                             

"Shippou?" Kagome called sweetly.

The fox kit jumped at the sound of his adopted mother's voice and he scampered into her awaiting arms.                       

"Why are you all wet?" Shippou questioned.

Kagome turned a scowl at Miroku who decided it was time to rouse Sango. The monk gently shook the exterminator's shoulders and Sango grumbled something before turning to face the other way, leaving her in perfect groping range.   

            "Pervert!" *SLAP* And Miroku's already has grope number one of the day.    

"Shippou?" Kagome turned to the little kit in her lap. "Where's Inuyasha?"

Shippou suddenly looked slightly uncomfortable. Suddenly finding his paws very interesting, the kitsune answered, "He went after Kikyo."

Silence fell over the camp. The bickering of Sango and Miroku halted immediately.                                                        

"He went alone." Kagome whispered. 

The demonic power came quickly, but Kagome felt the surge of it just in time to make it stop. Miroku took notice of the quick flash of orange power before it was quickly bottled up by its owner.                                                                

Not able to deal with the energy, Kagome bolted unknowingly in the opposite direction than Inuyasha had gone in. No one followed because of how dangerous Kagome was at the moment, and it was doubtful that anyone could catch up anyway.

"Miroku? What emotion was that?" Sango questioned worriedly and she caught on to what was happening.                   

"She feels betrayed." Miroku answered.

*                                                                                                                                                          

Kagome ran fast and far. The rush of demon energy gave her incredible power, and there was a lot to burn. Finally weakening herself down, Kagome stopped to catch her breath leaning against a large tree. "Inuyasha, you bastard." She whispered. But Kagome immediately halted her thoughts. She couldn't keep feeling that she was betrayed as it only fed her power. Her heart beat began to calm, and she decided that she wasn't going to judge Inuyasha's actions until he had gotten a chance to explain himself.                                                                                                                   

Kagome smiled. That was a strangely mature decision for her…

"I figured I could get you alone." A cold, detached female voice broke into her thoughts.                                                

Kagome whipped around to see the graceful form of Kikyo standing before her. But before she could even stutter some sort of lame greeting, Kikyo continued.

"I knew there was something wrong with you." Kikyo hissed. "What are you? You used to be a miko, but I don't sense any pure energy left in you."

Kagome jumped to her own defense, "Hey, there is some left." Her voice sounded braver than she actually was. Kagome really wished she had her bow and arrows with her. Kikyo didn't seem like she was in a very good mood.                   

"Why are you surrounded with such a demonic aura? I even feel a sense of Naraku on you." Kikyo spat out the words and looked at Kagome as if she were absolutely disgusting. "What kind of reincarnation are you? Here you are, soaking wet, covered in a monk's holy robe, and withholding completely destroyed miko abilities." Kikyo wouldn't let up. With a cold smirk she added, "It's not a wonder Inuyasha will never choose you."                     

Kagome's eyes pricked with tears. Kikyo was hitting some sensitive spots, and her mind continued to play the first image Naraku had ever placed in her mind.                                                                                                                   

*                                                                                                                                              

_"Let me show you what will happen if you do not join me…."_

_-- --  -- --  -- --Kagome found herself in a beautiful field. The sky was gloomy and a cool wind blew her hair. Suddenly she saw Inuyasha appear at the edge of the field._

_"Inuyasha!"___

_But he ignored her. He began walking away from her. _

_"Inuyasha!__ Wait!" She ran after the hanyou. At the edge of the field she found herself at the top of a hill looking down at Inuyasha. He was embracing and kissing Kikyo. "No." Kagome murmured to herself. She didn't believe what she saw in front of her. Inuyasha backed away slightly from Kikyo. He turned towards Kagome with a smirk. _

_"Kikyo can find the rest of the shards. You're worthless. Go home." Inuyasha lifted up the almost complete Shikon jewel. He handed it to Kikyo._

_"B-but, I thought you wanted me by your side."_

_"I lied wench."_

_'You're worthless…worthless…worthless.' __The harsh words echoed in Kagome's mind. He had voiced one of her biggest fears. She felt betrayed, hurt, angry, vengeful, and other emotions that exposed how deeply she was truly affected by two little words. Kagome felt power surge through her. She looked down to find her hands glowing black. _

_'Black?'___

_Without even realizing what she was doing, Kagome placed her hands in front of her and formed a dark, menacing sphere of energy. She shot the ball at the couple in front of her and watched as they were both destroyed. _

_ Kagome screamed.-- --  -- --  -- --_

_With a start, she found herself back in the white mist._

_"He will betray you in the end. And you will kill him." Naraku's voice echoed through the mist._

_"No! That isn't what will happen." _

_"If you join me, you will not have to feel the pain of betrayal. You will not kill Inuyasha with your own hatred." _

_"That emotion was hate?" _

_"Correct." _

_"But I could never hate Inuyasha." _

_"If you continue to follow him around he will betray you in the end. You will kill him and Kikyo with your hatred and you will have nothing left. Join me, and I will give you everything. In return, I want access to your power." _

_"I don't believe you." _

_"You will. Oh yes my little miko, you will be mine." _

_"Get out of my mind!"_

*

Kagome snapped back to the present as she heard the creek of Kikyo's arrow being pulled back upon its string.             

_'I really was betrayed by Inuyasha.'_ Kagome thought. _'Kikyo could take my place_.' Kagome watched in fear as the arrow was aimed at her. 

"You are a disgrace Kagome." Kikyo spat. The arrow flew. 

Kagome had picked up some agility over the years, but only enough so the arrow didn't hit anywhere fatal. The shaft of the arrow now protruded from her left shoulder. Kagome gave a cry of pain when she was hit and fell to the ground. She leaned against the large tree trunk for support. She turned a glare up at Kikyo as she tried to hold in her tears.

Another arrow was drawn and released. Kagome dodged and now had an arrow through her left thigh. Kikyo walked up to Kagome's weakened body a snatched the jewel shard from where it hung around Kagome's neck. "You've even corrupted the jewel." Kikyo scoffed disapprovingly.

 "I will always be the better one." Kikyo stated nonchalantly as if she were commenting on the weather.                         

Kagome couldn't stand it. Inuyasha would always choose Kikyo. Kikyo had some control over Naraku. Kikyo was a pure and powerful miko. Kikyo.was.better. _'It's not fair!'_                                                                                         

Kagome's glare became furious, and before her or her incarnate knew what had happened, Kikyo was engulfed in a huge surge of black power. The clay body was completely destroyed.

_*"If you continue to follow him around he will betray you in the end. You will kill him and Kikyo with your hatred and you will have nothing left. Join me, and I will give you everything. In return, I want access to your power."*_

Kagome fell into darkness.

--         A red-clad hanyou ran towards where he had smelled Kagome and Kikyo's scent after not finding Kikyo by following the soul-stealer. It had all been a trap to get him to leave Kagome's side. Kikyo wanted to get to Kagome!

The scene Inuyasha came across would haunt his nightmares forever. Kagome lay unmoving in a bloody heap. Kikyo could not be seen, though her scent was faintly still there. The women's souls in Kikyo's body had all moved on as soon as they had been set free. The only reminder of the undead miko was a small floating orb of light that slowly moved towards Kagome's form. It entered her body and disappeared. Her soul had finally become one again.                          

Inuyasha rushed to Kagome side.                                                                                                                                  *

Miroku's head snapped in the direction of the sudden rush of energy. "No." He whispered. Telling Sango and the others to stay put, the monk ran towards where his best friend could possibly lay dead.   
*                                                                                                                                              

Naraku's laughter echoed through the chamber as he watched the events unfold though Kanna's mirror. "Kikyo, you unknowingly did me a great favor."                                                                                                                                            The pieces are falling into place                                                                                                                                     *                                                                                                                                                                                  Love you all,                                                                                                                                                                 vold (Meggie)


	36. Life in the Enemy's Hands

A/N- I got this out as soon as I could. It took me a bit to make everything make sense, and I hope you guys like this chapter. Don't worry, the next one will have some romance…I know, finally! I'm excited to write it.

Enjoy!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 36

Life in the Enemy's Hands

"Kagome, come on! You have to wake up!" Inuyasha shook the lifeless body that blood was spilling out of. The hanyou was just trying to wake her up. Too bad common sense didn't instruct him that he needed to stop the bleeding. Kagome wasn't breathing, and Inuyasha wouldn't listen for a heart beat, he couldn't take it if he didn't hear one.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

"Come on Naraku. You've saved her before. How about you do it again!" Inuyasha cried while staring intently at Kagome's face. A tear escaped the pools of amber. It landed on Kagome's cheek and slid down her porcelain face. "Wake up Kag!"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Footsteps were heard approaching and a horrified Miroku ran onto the scene. "What happened!!!" Miroku yelled. All of his usual calm had evaporated as soon as his eyes landed on the blood. Miroku's face became livid. "She ran because of you!" He yelled with an accusing finger at the hanyou, who only sat there with his hands on Kagome's shoulders.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

"I didn't know!" Inuyasha defended in a whisper.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Miroku lunged at the hanyou and knocked him over onto the ground. He raised a fist and was about to slam it into Inuyasha's face, until he saw the defeated look in the hanyou's eyes. The fist lowered, and Miroku spat out, "You better hope she lives." Miroku quickly retreated to Kagome and checked her for a pulse. Thank the Kamis that there was a light flutter. But the bleeding had to stop.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Miroku didn't even know all of the circumstances, but he had seen Kagome hurt too many times because of the hanyou, and this time, the monk snapped. Quickly assessing that the arrow in her thigh had not gone all the way the way through, he carefully removed the arrow thankful that she wasn't awake for this pain. Miroku started to peel off the purple robe of his that Kagome had been wearing when Inuyasha had the nerve to stop him..

"Miroku, I want to take care of her." Inuyasha admitted. "You need to tell me what to do though."  

Though still in protective mode, Miroku backed off and instructed Inuyasha to remove the clothing around the wounds. But he was wrried about the arrow in Kagome upper arm. The weapon has gone all the way through and came out a good five inches on the other side. "Try not to touch the arrow. Just rip the clothing that covers around the wound." The hanyou did as told, while Miroku ripped his bloodied robe into strips. Miroku removed Kagome's pants, and not a perverted though entered his mind. Of course, he would be able to tease her about this later, if she lived that is…

Shaking his head, Miroku tightly wrapped one of the strips around the wound in her thigh. He looked up to see that Inuyasha had carefully removed the fabric around the arm wound. "Inuyasha, cover her up with your haori. I'm going to get that arrow out."

"No."

"What?"

"I want to do it. I need to take care of her." Inuyasha admitted.

"This is no time to start feeling guilty! You can take care of her when blood isn't 

pouring out of her body! Kagome will die if we don't stop this bleeding. Let's only hope that Naraku will give her some energy to keep her heart beat going, but that won't save her. Now move out of my way!" Miroku yelled. 

            Inuyasha obeyed, but he still hovered. Miroku took a deep breath and took the shaft of the arrow in both hands. He proceeded to snap the weapon in half so it would be easier to withdraw the ends from both sides of her arm. As soon as the parts were pulled out, one from the back and one from the front, Miroku wrapped another strip around her arm. 

            He was so glad Kagome hadn't woken up yet. That would have hurt like hell. Miroku turned around and shoved Inuyasha back, and then wrapped the pale girl up in the hanyou's haori. 

            "We need to get her back to camp Inuyasha. There are clean bandages and modern medicines in her pack. Carry her." Miroku ordered. He turned around and picked up the forgotten jewel, while Inuyasha scooped Kagome gingerly into his arms. He slipped the chain the jewel shard hung on around Kagome's wrist. Then they took off.

            The monk cringed. If Kagome woke up, she would live. She would be in a lot of pain, but she'd live. If she didn't wake up soon, than she would probably die before nightfall. The two worried men had helped. But, though Miroku hated to admit it, at the moment, Kagome's life was entirely in Naraku's hands…

_*_

_"Well this is awfully familiar." Kagome sneered from her position on her back with the mist swirling above her. "Do you think you could maybe change the setting of this place?" Sarcasm was practically dripping from her voice. Kagome was not in a good mood. Well, how could she be? Inuyasha betrayed her and ran off to Kikyo. Said clay model shot arrows at her, made her second guess herself, and then caused her to nearly commit suicide…again! Kagome scowled. 'I hate this.'   _

_ "I don't know, I kinda like this place. It has an ominous atmosphere." Naraku nonchalantly retorted her. _

_"So I basically died...oh wait, this has happened before huh?" There's the sarcasm once again.                                                                                                                                                                                       _

_"Listen dearie, you can't lose energy from feeling betrayal, get wounded by arrows, and then waste the small reserves of energy left by shooting your hatred at Kikyo." Naraku stood before Kagome, offering a hand to help her up.        _

_Kagome ignored him and stood up on her own. "Well I didn't mean to attack Kikyo. I just was so confused and my feelings slipped out. Wait…you said I killed her with hatred?"                                                                                                                                                        _

_                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               "That's right. Seems a lot like a certain dream you had." Naraku chided. Kagome flinched when she realized that everything Naraku had told her was going to happen, actually happened! Naraku continued, "Well, you really don't have any reason to stay with your umm…what would you refer to them as? Friends? You should just come to me now Kagome."             _

_"Tempting, but no thanks. Can I wake up now?" Kagome was really getting tired of this conversation. _

_"It's going to hurt when you wake up. You were hit by two arrows. I can numb the pain in your mind, but when you wake up, it's gonna hurt like hell. And you'll have to face Inuyasha…after all, you just killed Kikyo." Naraku smirked. "Thanks for that by the way." _

_Kagome paled. "I didn't mean to." She whispered. What was strange, Kagome never had felt that she hated Kikyo, so where did that emotion come from? Looking at the man in front of her, it wasn't hard to figure out who had fed her that power. "You better not make me do any more of your dirty work."_

_Naraku laughed. "So what if it wasn't truly your emotion. You had so much power built to attack her anyway, I just changed what kind it was. You were jealous. I fed you my emotion and, badabing, you killed her…permanently. And Inuyasha betrayed you. What do you have left?"      _

_  "I have people that care about me. And I doubt Inuyasha meant to betray me." Kagome decided to take everything slowly. She could forgive and forget…she just hoped Inuyasha could too.         _

_"You wanna wake up now Kagome? All you have to do is ask. If you think you can face him, I'll give you the energy to wake up. But I've seen how weak your mind has become. You are doubtful. That's all I need." Naraku assured. _

_"I don't doubt Inuyasha." But the tone even sounded fake to Kagome. She was so emotional right now that she didn't know what to think. If Inuyasha could forgive her for killing Kikyo for good, she could forgive him for anything. It would just take some time to fully accept Inuyasha back.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       _

_'Do I love him or not?'_

_Kagome lifted her eyes to glare at Naraku. "Wake me up." She ordered                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         _

*

Inuyasha ran at top speeds back to his group's little camp, and Miroku astonishingly, didn't stay too far behind. Who knew a human could run that fast? The two arrived back in no time at all, and were met by a frantic Sango and bawling Shippou. Inuyasha set Kagome on her sleeping bag and Miroku filled in Sango on what had happened. Sango made sure to send plenty of dirty looks at Inuyasha's back. 

Shippou cried and cuddled against Sango since he couldn't get near Kagome with Inuyasha there. 

"If she doesn't wake up soon, she'll die." Miroku whispered to Sango as the two walked away from camp, not having anything else to do. Shippou was cradled in Sango's arms, and gasped at the comment, as did Sango. 

"We can't do anything else. It's up to Kagome, well actually Naraku, if she lives or dies." The monk continued. 

Sango looked at Miroku. They were out of Inuyasha's hearing range by now, and he was too worried to focus on a conversation anyway. "He loves her."

"She loves him." Miroku answered.

The two looked at each other. "He doesn't deserve her." Sango whispered.

"But I think he needs her." Miroku retorted. 

"But how can she always return to him when she can't trust him. He's always after another girl." Sango asked. 

…okay, somehow this conversation wasn't about Inuyasha and Kagome anymore was it?

"Let's go back Sango." Miroku answered.

            When the two returned, Kagome had yet to wake up and that had them all worried. Inuyasha had cradled her body in his arms and he'd laid his head on her chest to listen to her heartbeat. It was still there. 

            "Come on Kagome. Say something, anything so I know that you're okay." Inuyasha asked of her pale face. 

            No response. But suddenly, Miroku could sense Naraku's aura. It was so faint that he had missed it before, but it was there. "Inuyasha. He's in her mind."

            Inuyasha looked up questioningly, but then his mind dawned on who 'he' was. 

"It's up to him now then." The hanyou whispered.

            He stared intently at Kagome's face, hoping beyond hope that she could pull through this and just open her eyes. He needed to hear her voice again. The guilt was overwhelming Inuyasha, but he blocked the fact that this was all his fault until Kagome was okay. Or at least, speaking again. What was the fun in beating yourself up over something if Kagome wasn't there to assure you it wasn't your fault?

            "Kagome, say something." Inuyasha begged.

            No answer.

            "Kag, please." He persisted.

            It was quiet, but Kagome answered his prayer. She suddenly sucked in a sharp breath and whispered, "Damn, that bastard wasn't lying." There was a cringe on her face.

            Inuyasha couldn't control his grin. He was so happy to hear her speak that he started to laugh. Miroku started laughing too, and Shippou and Sango just launched themselves at Kagome to envelop her in a big hug.

            Kagome opened her eyes slightly to glare at the laughing Inuyasha. 

            The hanyou stopped his laughs of joy and asked her, "Who wasn't lying about what?"

            "Naraku wasn't lying when he told me it was gonna hurt like hell when I woke up." Kagome answered, murmuring.

            Inuyasha looked back up at Miroku from his crouched position beside Kagome and questioned, "She'll be okay now, right monk?"

            Miroku nodded his head. Well, at least Kagome was okay from this injury. Now that she was awake it meant that she hasn't lost a fatal amount of blood, and they could rest assured that she would live through the night.

            "Get some rest Kag." Sango advised. Kagome didn't need to be told twice. But not before she gave one last look at Inuyasha.

            It was one of hurt, but there was something else. It was an emotion that Inuyasha could fully sympathize with. Kagome felt guilty. 

            Inuyasha didn't know how this would end. But he had just realized something. The fact had been building more and more in Inuyasha's mind ever since this whole kotsonu thing had started.

            First it was the constant threat of her dying from her new powers.

Then the fact that Naraku wanted her.

Now Kagome already seemed to have forgiven him for leaving her, but she felt _guilty _about killing Kikyo, just because she thought Inuyasha still loved Kikyo.

But the thing that she said that really made him come to realization was when Kagome unconsciously called the Feudal Era her home.

            There was no denying it and he no longer had any doubts about it. 

The strangest feeling of relief washes over one when they realize something they should have known and accepted a long time ago.

            Inuyasha was in love.

            He was in love with Kagome Higurashi.

            Oh boy did he had some thinking to do…

*

I love you guys!

-vold- (Meggie)

Please Review and tell me what you think!

                                                        


	37. Forgiveness

A/N- Okay, fell way behind there, and I am SO sorry. I had so much going on. I've been to Canada and Florida for school trips in the last few weeks, and I just have been totally disoriented. I had this chapter typed weeks ago, the computer died and all files were erased. But it's cool; I like the rewritten version better. Anyway, I feel awful since this chapter is short, but I only had an hour or two to get this done. I hope you all enjoy this, because I for one love this chapter. Oh, and Megu-sama. Thank you so much for being such a loyal reviewer. I am flattered that you enjoy this story, and this chapter is dedicated to you. You were my motivation to get this scene done, and I'll be sure to try and finish the next chapter this weekend.

Oh, and my story turned one year old! Yahooo!

The Colors of Emotions

Chapter 37

Forgiveness

_"Now, if I can just roll over onto my side, I can look around and see if he's around." _Kagome nodded to herself at this chosen plan of action. Of course, moving proved to be much more painful than she had originally taken into account, but nothing she couldn't handle.

With a grunt and a few 'owws' Kagome had successfully turned onto her right side…and was faced with a tree. She scowled, _"Everyone just has to fall asleep on the left side of me don't they."_ She sarcastically thought. Well, no way was she going to risk the pain of rolling onto her arrow wounds just to try and talk with Inuyasha right? 'Sigh' and Kagome rolled with as much momentum as could be made and landed softly on her other side. The searing pain made her shriek, but she quickly dove her face into her sleeping bag to muffle the sound. She didn't want to wake anyone up.

Too late. "Kagome, I've been awake all night ya know…"

Kagome frowned as she recognized Miroku's voice. "Well you could have said something, you jerk."

"Sorry, it was too amusing to watch you squirm around." Miroku laughed lightly.

"Sadist." Kagome mumbled into the fabric of the pillow case with a roll of her eyes. "Is Inuyasha around?" She questioned.

She heard Miroku sigh. "That's why I'm up. He left hours ago and I don't know if he's close enough to camp to keep adequate watch."

Kagome grumbled. "I wanted to talk to him."

"I could have guessed as much. You wanna kick some hanyou ass?" Miroku offered.

Kagome shook her head from where she had rolled to lie on her back. "No, I need to tell him what happened with Kikyo. And also, I need to tell him how sorry I am." Kagome whispered.

"You're too nice to him Kag." Miroku scolded.

"I-I don't know what's going on anymore Miroku. I've never been so confused in my life." Kagome confessed.

Miroku raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Naraku's continuous words ran through her mind. _'He will leave you. You will kill them in the end. What do you call them? Friends?'_ "It's nothing Miroku."

Miroku could only nod his head. He wouldn't push her for questions. Not right now. "Do you want me to find Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

Suddenly a rustle was heard as someone stepped into the camp.

"No need. I'm right here." Inuyasha announced, whispering of course.

Kagome turned her head slightly in the direction of his voice. "Can- Can we talk?"

It had been difficult to pick Kagome up without hurting her. But she insisted on walking on her own, and Inuyasha acted as a crutch with one arm around her shoulders, and one of hers barely reaching around his. Kagome limped along applying most of the pressure to her right leg, as the two went to a private place to talk. Inuyasha assured that he had found the perfect spot for such a thing, and Kagome had only to follow along…well, more like limp along.

The pair finally broke out of the brush to come onto a gorgeous cliff top, overlooking a huge forest. Kagome gasped at the beauty as her eyes scanned the treetops.

            "Pretty cool huh?" Inuyasha asked, as he sat down a few meters from the cliff's edge. He carefully placed Kagome in his lap, but she scooted out of the intimate position.

            "We need to talk seriously Inuyasha. And I want to talk to you face to face." Kagome insisted when she saw the slightly hurt look on Inuyasha's face. Slowly, she sat herself down with only a slight twinge of pain, and sat upright with her legs stretched out in front of her. She realized then that she was wearing his haori.

            "Thank you, for the haori I mean." She began what was sure to be a difficult conversation.

            Inuyasha blinked at the awkward statement. "Uh, yeah sure, not a problem. I mean, you wear it all the time anyway." He smiled.

            Kagome turned from him then as she couldn't bear to see his face when she said this. "She isn't coming back Inuyasha."

            "Wait, who?"

            Kagome almost fell over at that. But she still couldn't turn to see his face. "Kikyo. She's dead."

            Inuyasha was so confused. "I am fully aware that she is dead Kagome."

            Kagome whipped her head to look straight at him, and the hanyou was shocked to see tears starting to form at the corners of her beautiful eyes.

            "Kikyo is DEAD. Permanently. No more of you two seeing each other. No chance for you two to be together. I just killed the woman you loved!" The tears were flowing freely now. Inuyasha made to embrace her but Kagome scooted further away. "You don't get it! Why aren't you angry at me? You should be yelling at me, screaming at me!"

            Her sobs quieted and she looked up once more to meet his heated gaze. "All I can tell you, is that I am so, _so _sorry." She sniffed. "I know you loved her, and I'll understand if you can't sob can't forgive me. I don't think I can even forgive myself."

            She turned away. "I'll understand, if you…if you want me to leave. I'll go home. There aren't any shards left to find, and I" But she was cut off.

            Inuyasha had grabbed her shoulders and somewhat roughly turned her to face him. "Kagome!" He yelled to force her to look at his eyes.

            When she did, he continued in a softer voice. "I would never want you to leave."

Inuyasha leaned forward, and when his lips were just a breath away from hers he whispered, "I don't think I ever truly loved Kikyo." Then he paused. Kagome's heart did a flip flop. He continued, "There is nothing to forgive."

            And his lips met hers in a gentle kiss.

            Kagome was stunned for only a moment before she leaned into the kiss. He had forgiven her, and the relief was so wonderful that the moment was made just about perfect. The kiss deepened, and everything felt so right. No nervousness, no being timid. Inuyasha's tongue ran across her bottom lip, and Kagome slightly opened her mouth…

            Then a horrible thought occurred to her.

            Kagome jumped away quickly leaving Inuyasha to look extremely hurt, and also slightly zoned out.

            "Kagome?" He questioned her, hoping her coldness had an explanation.

            She looked suspiciously at the hanyou. "How do I…Are you real? Is this real?" Kagome questioned.

            Inuyasha smiled. "Of course it's real. What, have you dreamed of this before, or…?" Then he caught on to what she really meant. "You-you think this…?"

            Kagome cut him off. "How do I know you're not Naraku? Or maybe this is all a vision, and something horrible is about to happen to make me attack." She looked so scared. "I…I don't know what is real anymore." She whispered.

            "You think I could be Naraku?"

            "He's done something like this before." Kagome admitted.

            The anger rose immediately in Inuyasha. "He impersonated me and kissed you! That son of…"

            Again, Kagome wouldn't let him finish, "Make me believe this is real!" She pleaded with tearful eyes.

            What could he say? There was nothing that could automatically assure her that he was indeed Inuyasha. He took a deep breath.

            "You came through the well from another time. I hated you. I was forced to travel with you. I have always been alone, but your kindness is like a magnet, and friends have stayed with us, because of you. I've hurt you, betrayed you, yet you never leave. You have tears for any occasion. You cry when you're sad, angry, or when you're happy. I've come close to losing you too many times." But Inuyasha was on a roll.

            "Kikyo was good to me. But she never accepted me. Kagome, you have an open-mind to everything. You trust me, a worthless hanyou, with your life. And that has made me more than a worthless hanyou. That has given me a reason to keep going, to protect you…"

            Kagome was speechless. Inuyasha was proud of himself for telling her all that. After all, those words came out pretty smooth considering he'd been pondering this whole topic of his feelings for the past few hours. That was as close to an 'I love you' as he could manage right now.

But it worked.

            Kagome had tears running from her eyes. "Happy tears?" Inuyasha questioned.

            Kagome flashed a beaming yet wobbly smile and nodded her head. She lunged at him and caught him in a huge embrace. Inuyasha slowly backed up, placed his arms around her and kissed her deeply. Kagome returned the kiss, molding her mouth with his. It was slow at first, but the pent-up passion became too powerful to keep things slow. Inuyasha's tongue slid into her mouth, and explored her. The sensations were incredible, and Kagome was having difficulty thinking straight. They broke apart to breath, and Inuyasha gave her a dazzling smile.

            _"He doesn't love Kikyo."_  Was her last thought, as the jewel shard glowed a brilliant color, and Kagome fell roughly against Inuyasha, unconscious.

            _"If I am correct, your emotions seem to take on a color of the spectrum. Since protection is a more powerful emotion then anger, the color it had when released was higher up on the spectrum then that of anger. The colors of the rainbow correspond to the colors of your emotions. If blue had enough power to throw Inuyasha against a wall, I fear what emotion corresponds to red. If my theory is right, the most powerful emotion will take on a red color, and it will be extremely deadly if shot out randomly."_

            The jewel still glowed a faint red as Inuyasha hurriedly carried Kagome's unmoving form back to camp. He was overcome by a sick sense of deja-vu, although Kagome had a steady heart beat and was breathing, and she would most likely be okay.

            Inuyasha was lucky that Kagome had the jewel shard on. For her emotion was indeed red. But the hanyou hadn't heard Kaede's words, and no one was aware of what the consequences of Kagome tapping into that particular emotion were.

After all…love makes one do crazy things.

Love you all!

Meg (vold)


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